Not Quite Narwhal

by Jessie Sima

Overview

In the tradition of Uni the Unicorn and Gaston, this heartwarming and adorable debut picture book tells the story of a young unicorn who was born under the sea to a family of narwhals.

Growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the cuisine. Then one night, an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface, where he spots a mysterious creature that looks just like him! Kelp discovers that he and the creature are actually unicorns. The revelation leaves him torn: is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? But perhaps, if Kelp is clever, he may find a way to have the best of both worlds.

Told with heartwarming illustrations and spare, sweet text, Jessie Sima’s debut picture book is about fitting in, standing out, and the all-encompassing love of family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481469098
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	02/14/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	13,047
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jessie Sima is an author/illustrator living and working in New York City. She grew up in a small town in Southern New Jersey, unaware that she was a storyteller. Once she figured it out, she told her family and friends. They took it quite well. She is the author of Not Quite Narwhal; Harriet Gets Carried Away; Love, Z; and Spencer’s New Pet. You can visit her at JessieSima.com.

Editorial Reviews

12/05/2016
Kelp has a narwhal-like horn, but it’s kind of short, and he has trouble swimming like the other narwhals. On land, he discovers why: he’s a unicorn. (Kelp has a transparent diving helmet, so breathing underwater is no problem.) Fortunately, both unicorns and narwhals accept him warmly: “he didn’t have to choose.” Newcomer Sima’s plot holds few surprises—it’s pretty much a standard-issue, born-in-the-wrong-family tale—but her adorable characters trigger smiles throughout, whether it’s the newborn Kelp tucked snugly into a sea scallop or unicorns using their horns to toast marshmallows. Vignettes show Kelp unsuccessfully imitating crabs (“Oof”) and frogs (“Ow”) as he tries learning to walk, reassuring readers that they’re not the only ones who struggle to master new skills. By contrast, the text eschews cuteness for dry humor: “Land narwhals!” exclaims Kelp upon seeing unicorns for the first time. “Actually we’re unicorns,” says an adult, as the other unicorns cavort through rainbows and freshets of clear water. “And by the looks of it, so are you!” Naturally, the story concludes with a festive party for both single-horned species. Ages 4–8. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Swap the tired Ugly Duckling for this delightfully absurd tale of knowing who you are and where you came from."

January 2017 - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Sima’s bubbly, adorable artwork is nearly irresistible...This endearing tale will warm many a heart."

January 2017 - Booklist

"This book is painfully adorable...The story is about finding your own way to belong,..It's just beautiful.

January 24, 2017 - Shelf Awareness Pro

01/01/2017
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 unicorns—he 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

School Library Journal

2016-11-02
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)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More