ALA Booklist (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Sima's sweet debut features an adorable unicorn with an identity problem. Kelp has spent his whole life living underwater with a pod of narwhals wears a glass helmet with a hole for his horn d he's always known he's different. Luckily, the narwhals don't seem to mind, even when he must wear water wings to swim. But when a strong current takes him close to shore and he spies creatures that look just like him, his curiosity is sparked, so he sets out on land and eventually finds them: "Land narwhals!" he says, to which a land narwhal replies, "Actually, we're unicorns. And by the looks of it, so are you!" Kelp worries about having to choose between the land and sea, but the unicorns and narwhals are a resourceful, understanding bunch, and they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy. Sima's bubbly, adorable artwork is nearly irresistible, particularly tiny Kelp, whose cartoonish gestures and expressions unmistakably communicate his emotions. This endearing tale will warm many a heart.

Horn Book

Kelp is a (diving helmetwearing) unicorn born in the ocean among narwhals. He has always felt different but doesn't know why until he discovers the "mysterious, sparkling" land-based creatures (unicorns) whom he resembles. Kelp's journey of self-discovery requires suspension of disbelief; flat-looking Photoshop illustrations are full of visual jokes (e.g., a unicorn in floaties) that will have unicorn fans galloping for this book.

Kirkus Reviews

Being true to yourself means embracing differences and striding (or paddling) fearlessly into the world. Emerging from a giant clam, baby unicorn Kelp lives among narwhals, believing he's just not as good as everyone else at swimming, appreciating a squid dinner, or breathing underwater (he sports a glass diving helmet—with a gasket-encircled hole for his horn). Swept close to shore one day, he spies for the first time an adult unicorn and, struck by the resemblance to himself, totters onto solid ground. The "land narwhals" explain to him that they—and he—are unicorns. Kelp's blissful new life of learning to do special unicorn things amid sparkles and rainbows is punctuated by sadness over the narwhal friends he left behind. Upon returning to his watery home, Kelp learns that the narwhals knew all along that he was actually a unicorn. Following a brief internal tussle over where he truly belongs, Kelp recognizes that he doesn't have to be just one thing or another and happily unites his friends at the shoreline. As seen in Sima's soft, digital illustrations, Kelp is adorable, and she evokes both undersea and aboveground environments artfully. The message is an appealing one that could speak to many family situations relating to multiple identities, but the central dilemma is resolved so quickly and easily that there is little room for emotional engagement. A slim, feel-good story, as light and airy as the rainbows that grace its pages. (Picture book. 4-7)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 2 The "not quite" narwhal in this story is Kelp, an adorable unicorn, born underwater and living with an equally adorable school of narwhals. His tusk is kind of short, he's not a very good swimmer, and narwhal food is just gross, but his life is pretty great. Kelp is accepted by the narwhals, and he accepts himself as he is. But one day, a strong current drops him on a beach, where he learns to walk (after hysterically imitating a crab and a frog, he finds that a turtle is the best model) and discovers a whole herd of "land narwhals" who look just like him. Little Kelp's new life is awash in rainbows and unicornshe almost doesn't want to go home. Of course, home isn't quite the same after his adventure, but luckily everyone is on his side. The narwhals and unicorn meet at the beach, and Kelp ends his story in the best of both worlds. Sima draws digitally on a Wacol drawing tablet and has created charming undersea and overland settings on full-bleed spreads. Her narrative is short, with a storyteller's pacing and winning characters, resulting in an appealing book. Read it for a whimsical storytime or provide some text-to-text connections for older students with Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Uni the Unicorn and Bob Shea's Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great . VERDICT Useful for ELA curricula and sure to circulate, this title is highly recommended. Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence