Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
Narwhal and his jellyfish sidekick, Jelly, see just how much joy a simple thing can bring if they use a little imagination.When Jelly remarks on Narwhal's new "blankie," Narwhal points out that it's not just a blanket-it can do so much more. In fact, Narwhal's blankie is amazingly versatile. It's a blanket! It's a hankie! And, of course, after sneezing into it, one can fashion it into a hat and wear it on one's head. Mounted on a stick, it makes a dandy flag; gathered in a knot, it doubles as a bag. Blankie is a great place to host a picnic; it can also be worn as a cape or a dress. But Blankie's best feature, Narwhal points out, is that it's big enough for two-a cozy, warm place to snuggle with a friend. The two friends swim and play against an all-white background that accentuates their delightful expressions and chemistry. A few well-placed motion lines and Blankie's various permutations provide the rest of the story in Clanton's successful adaptation of his Narwhal and Jelly books for school-age readers. The characters' loosely rhymed dialogue unfolds in fast-paced, breezy jokes, and a good-natured sense of play permeates the proceedings. The contemporaneously published volume Bubbles is similarly charming and manages one of the few fart jokes (kids love 'em) that one might arguably describe as clever.A delightful celebration of friendship and fancy. (Board book. 1-4)
School Library Journal Starred Review
(Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)
CLANTON, Ben . Bubbles . ISBN 9780735266766 . ea vol: illus. by Ben Clanton. 22p. (Narwhal and Jelly). Tundra . Feb. 2021. Board. $8.99. Toddler-PreS From Clanton's early graphic novel series, hilarious best-friend duo Narwhal and Jelly happily talk about their favorite things and dart about in their simple, signature colors across the pages. When reading to younger children, siblings and parents will thoroughly enjoy using different voices for the back-and-forth between reliable Jelly and sunny Narwhal.
Kirkus Reviews
(Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Narwhal and his jellyfish sidekick, Jelly, see just how much joy a simple thing can bring if they use a little imagination.When Jelly remarks on Narwhal's new "blankie," Narwhal points out that it's not just a blanket-it can do so much more. In fact, Narwhal's blankie is amazingly versatile. It's a blanket! It's a hankie! And, of course, after sneezing into it, one can fashion it into a hat and wear it on one's head. Mounted on a stick, it makes a dandy flag; gathered in a knot, it doubles as a bag. Blankie is a great place to host a picnic; it can also be worn as a cape or a dress. But Blankie's best feature, Narwhal points out, is that it's big enough for two-a cozy, warm place to snuggle with a friend. The two friends swim and play against an all-white background that accentuates their delightful expressions and chemistry. A few well-placed motion lines and Blankie's various permutations provide the rest of the story in Clanton's successful adaptation of his Narwhal and Jelly books for school-age readers. The characters' loosely rhymed dialogue unfolds in fast-paced, breezy jokes, and a good-natured sense of play permeates the proceedings. The contemporaneously published volume Bubbles is similarly charming and manages one of the few fart jokes (kids love 'em) that one might arguably describe as clever.A delightful celebration of friendship and fancy. (Board book. 1-4)