Melville

Synopsis:

Meet Melville, a purple, softly round, beyond-adorable sea creature who is off to “find a place for just me.”

Leaving his warm and loving mama behind, Melville the sea creature sets off for an adventure, and he knows just the kind of place he’s looking for. Along the way, he gets lost (briefly), encounters sharks and other big sea creatures, and floats past a pirate ship. Melville checks out a few spots, but all fall short of his dream place…until, weary from his adventures, he finds his way back to his mama—a place that is “just right.”

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Review:

This is one of those times that I wished I created an unboxing video because I fell in love with this book the moment I opened up the envelope. First off, my blog theme is centered around an adorable octopus. You can find out some really cool facts about octopuses here. Then, when I realized that the author/illustrator was Paul Schmid, I was super excited. Paul’s illustrative style is absolutely adorable! I was already a fan of his previous book characters – Petunia, Oliver, and Pearl. I love his style of illustration and Melville does not disappoint. So let’s review, shall we?

Melville departs on an adventure to find a perfect place just for him. After traversing the ocean waters where he encounters sharks, stingrays, clownfish, whales, and more, Melville is tired. There is nowhere in the vast ocean that’s just right for him. But, when he gets home, he finds his perfect place right next to his mom, surrounded by her tentacles.

The story is perfect for snuggling your little ones! I can see this being a new favorite to give at baby showers. It doesn’t have a lot of text and the illustrations are so sweet. With a perfect combination of bright bold colors combined with muted tones, the illustrations are never too busy for a little one’s eye. Plus, there’s so much to talk about when reading this story. It can be hard to read board books sometimes because they just have a single word on the page. But, even with this story, readers can talk about the illustrations and extend the story beyond what is printed.

Verdict:

Pair this with an adorable reversible plushie and you’ve found a perfect gift! Or, read this story before heading off to the aquarium to see many of these animals in real life! This is a sweet story about a mother’s love for her little boy and a grand adventure that ends right back where it begins – at home with mama.

If you’re interested in purchasing Melville by Paul Schmid, please use my affiliate links for Bookshop.org or Amazon.com. When you purchase from either of these links, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.

Need to Know:

Title: Melville
Author: Paul Schmid
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Kids
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Page Number: 34 pgs.

I received a physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.