Unicorn of the Sea (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #1)

I discovered this book on Pinterest while trying to find something fun and easy for my early reader. Little did I know our entire family would love these books! Be careful though, only 2 are in production yet and the third is to be released April of 2018! My son (5 years old) giggles and I've found him sitting around reading it on his own. My husband and I both enjoy the silly humor and we can't wait to see what the next one is about. LOVE THESE BOOKS!

I read this to my 3 year old, who happens to love narwhals and jellyfish, which is why I bought this book. This is probably his first exposure to sequential art and storytelling. He loves it - it's easy for him to follow along when he wants and just to enjoy the drawings and silly banter between the two sea creature friends.

This was a Christmas present for my 6 year old son. He's a good, but not confident reader. I gave this book a chance and he absolutely loved it! He sat for over an hour reading, giggling, singing, and rereading the book! He wouldn't even take a break when prompted. He's told his entire class (and probably half the school) about this book. It's cute, fun, and has just the right amount of silliness and facts mixed. He's already asked to collect the rest of the books!

My daughter is about to turn 5 and wanted a Narwhal theme birthday party. I came across this looking for stuff for her party. She loves it! I have read it to her every night since we got it. She is also a waffle freak and would eat them for every meal if I let her. The fact that Narwhal and Jelly love waffles too just tickles her. She squeals and giggles all through this book much more than any other book she has. I aready preordered the next one.

"This book is super funny. There was even a Narwhal song included in this book. I can't wait to read the next book about Narwhal & Jelly." - 2nd grade reader. My 2nd grader picked this out for his 12 year old sister because she loves Narwhals. She loved it and he curled right up on the couch and started reading it to himself giggling. This was really our first experience with him finding such joy in reading. We are here now because he asked me to look and see if there were any other books about the same characters! Great job!

We bought this book for our 7 year old reluctant reader. He really enjoyed it and has asked for the second book in the series. His review, in his words, are, “This book was funny and had some funny parts. The pictures are really cool. I like that the pages are thicker than regular pages. The words are written bigger and the squares with the pictures are bigger, too. My favorite part was the ninja waffle that fights a giant robot with a strawberry sidekick.”

“Good thing that waffle is a kung fu master!”

Every time I pick up NARWHAL: UNICORN OF THE SEA, I picture Season Eight Leslie Knope reading it to her triplets before bed.

I mean, there are waffles! With a strawberry sidekick! Fighting robots! And they also know how to party!

I’m 99.9998% certain that Narwhal the narwhal is Leslie Knope’s daemon in an alternate universe. (That pinprick of doubt? Stems from the shocking lack of waffle toppings. Like, where’s the whipped cream? The chocolate sauce? The gorram sprinkles?!)

So, like, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of a graphic novel for kids. As it turns out, it feels a lot like a picture book, but with panels like a comic book. It’s definitely meant for younger readers, but that’s okay! Adults can still enjoy it too. It’s silly and weird, but also hecka cute and kind of a fun distraction. And don’t we all deserve a little escapism after the dumpster fire that has been 2016?

The book’s comprised of five short stories that follow a narwhal named Narwhal who’s found himself in strange waters. He befriends a perplexed little jellyfish; forms his own pod, with the help of shark, blowfish, and octopus; shares his favorite book (don’t get the pages wet!); throws a super-awesome party; and celebrates all things waffle-related.

In summary: Come for the narwhals, stay for the under-the-sea waffle parties.

** Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program. **

I did not realize that this is more of a graphic/comic novel than a story. I just wasn't pleased with that, or the story itself. It seemed to be sarcastic at times. It did ship just fine and was appropriately priced. I will not buy again or recommend to persons. My kids weren't wild about it either.

This is a cute little book but somehow just not that riveting to me or my 7-year-old. The book is a graphic novel for younger kids that contains 3 stories. The first story is of Narwhal and Jelly (the jellyfish) meeting and is the best of the three. The narwhal has never seen a jellyfish and the jellyfish has never seen a narwhal so they both believe the other is imaginary and after both fail to convince the other that they are in fact real, they decide to be imaginary friends. Then we have 2 pages on narwhal facts. In the next story we learn that narwhals travel in groups called pods and Narwhal invites multiple different creatures to join his pod and gives them all a horn-like tooth to wear. Jelly is angry and sad not to be asked but then Narwhal tells him that he just assumed that of course he would be in his pod. Then we have jellyfish facts. In the last story, Narwhal shows Jelly his favorite book which turns out to just be empty pages. Then, they create a story together and imagine the pictures on the page. They have so much fun that Jelly asks to borrow the book. Narwhal tells him just not to get the pages wet!

The illustrations are very simple and basic. The book is cute and easy to read. I think young readers will enjoy this but for some reason my 7-year-old did not seem to think it was as funny as I did at times!

This is a very cute early level graphic novel. Narwhal meets Jelly and they have to figure out if they are real or just imaging one another. Even when Jelly attempts to prove that he is real by stinging Narwhal, Narwhal still has to figure out if that tingling sensation was real or just something he imagined. As they continue their conversation, they find out that they have things in common and Narwhal declares them friends. The theme of imagination continues as Narwhal shares the best book ever, which is blank. Narwhal helps Jelly to find the imagination and stories written in those blank pages. Some are happy and some are a little scary, but the two of them enjoy each together.

The drawings are very cute and the reading level is fairly low. My daughter and son both loved it. My daughter was easily able to read it on her own in less than an hour and my son could come close to every word on his own as well. The pictures help beginning readers to take a stab at words that they don't know, but the comic format of a graphic novel makes them feel like they are reading much more than just a picture book. I'm definitely going to stick around and read more of this adorable series.

This is a hilariously cute little book!

My daughter was skeptical at first. From the title and cover, you simply have no idea how funny this is.

We read it together. I took the voice of the Jellyfish and she took the voice of the Narwhal. We took turns with the other characters in the book, though my daughter insisted on being the Waffle. Yes, I said Waffle. A Waffle that happens to be a kung fu master.

Are you getting the idea how silly this book is?

Yet, along with the silly, you get wonderful facts about our two main sea creatures, adorable illustrations, and a lovely story about friendship.

We had the giggles as we read it. An absolute five star pleasure of a read!

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Ben Clanton. It is intended for readers of all ages, and will hold special appeal for children in the early years of elementary school.

This novel is broken up into three short stories featuring a charismatic narwhal and his jellyfish friend. In the first story, the friends meet for the first time and try to figure out if they are real or imaginary. The second story contains some important lessons about friendship when Jellyfish feels left out after Narwhal recruits other animals as members of his new pod. Finally, the third story demonstrates the power of imagination when Narwhal and Jellyfish peruse a book with no words or pictures.

The illustrations have been rendered in a simple style. The background is rather plain, which allows the reader to focus on the characters. Clanton places an emphasis on facial expressions, and it is always easy to see how a character is feeling. There are some silly pages between the story featuring “fun facts” about narwhals, and even a narwhal song!

I knew that my nine year old graphic novel fan was going to love this book, but I also shared it with my seven year old twins. One is an enthusiastic reader, and one is slightly more reluctant about reading. They also enjoyed Narwhal, and giggled at the jokes.

I would recommend Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea. This is a great book for kids who are outgrowing Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie books, as well as those who like graphic novel series like Babymouse and Phoebe and her Unicorn. We loved the quirky humor and the friendship between Narwhal and Jellyfish. It seems like Narwhals are becoming increasingly popular, so this book is rather timely. My girls and I all hope that this is the first of many adventures with Narwhal and Jellyfish!

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

Join Narwhal, the narwhal, and Jelly, the jellyfish, as they become friends, use their imagination, and go on adventures under the sea. In three short stories, Narwhal and Jelly learn crazy facts about narwhals and later form a pod with waffles and awesome ocean friends, then they read a book but it doesn’t have any words or pictures. Narwhal and Jelly are a fantastically silly and delightful pair as they explore friendship, working together, and life at sea.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, written and illustrated by Ben Clanton, is a funny and delightful read for independent readers and younger beginning readers. Parents will enjoy reading this one aloud with little ones and it is sure to get lots of laughs from both parents and kids. Narwhal is happy-go-lucky and Jelly is a bit more practical, but together they make the perfect pair to teach kids fun facts about narwhals and jellyfish as well as subtle lessons on friendship and working together. Delivered in graphic novel format, the story is told through short dialogue between Narwhal and Jelly making it perfect for children with short attention spans or those just learning to read independently. The format is great because it makes younger children feel like they are reading a book above their age level, and older children won’t feel like they’re reading a little kid book. Fantastic and fun, this would be a fun addition to any home library.

Thank you to Tundra Books and Net Galley for a reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This comic book style storybook is perfect for emergent readers or as a read aloud. There are three stories in the book: "Narwhal Is REALly Awesome," "Narwhal's Pod of Awesomeness," and "Narwhal and the Best Book Ever." There are also two other sections: a collection of facts about narwhals and jellyfish and "The Narwhal Song" for which you can make up your own tune. In the course of the book, Narwhal and Jelly meet, consider how they can determine whether they are real or imaginary (they leave the question open), put together a pod of friends, and find a very special book to read together.

The drawings are simple and charming (see more at [...]). The concepts are big, though: real vs. imaginary, the nature of friendship, and coping with anger.

Narwhal and Jelly are witty and adventuresome and they do things kids do -- like eating waffles, making friends, and using the internet. Their story also includes enough undersea elements to make it a fun addition to a study of ocean animals. It includes some fun new words like "ahoy" and "sidekick," plus some really new words like "tentacular," an octopus's reaction to a friendly invitation.

I look forward to more adventures in the series.

My son is in first grade (7yo) and an advanced reader. He's reading in school at a 3rd grade level but getting him to read for pleasure is like pulling teeth. I've bought him every series I've heard recommended for his age and although he likes them, he's never asking to read them on his own. Then came Narwhal. He got the first book and started reading it before bed. For the first time ever, he asked me if he could stay up to keep reading on his own. I (gladly) agreed. The next morning he told me he'd finished the book and asked if there were more. I promptly bought books 2 and 3. Same experience. As soon as he saw book #2 he started reading and at bedtime, asked for a few more minutes to read to himself.

The books aren't long. I think it took him about 15 minutes to get through one. And they're probably written at a 1st grade level. But they're entertaining and clearly a hit with my son!

Description: This book is about a Narwhal and a Jellyfish that meet in the ocean and become friends. Together they share fun facts about narwhals and jellyfish, try to meet other sea creatures to create a pod (family/group), they teach us a song, and then Narwhal teaches his new friend, Jelly how to use his imagination. Overall there is a lot of fun packed into this book and I think children will love it.

In Short: This is a super adorable and funny children's book with main themes of friendship and imagination. It is humorous and entertaining. The art is really beautiful. I highly recommend it because I think children will have a lot of fun reading it.

Pros: The characters are super cute and funny. This book is original and each chapter is unique which will hold attention easily. I think the addition of the song was a nice touch. The art is really fantastic but also the shapes are simple enough that a small child could practice drawing their new favorite characters, Narwhal and Jelly.

Cons: I have no issues with this book.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. Full review on the blog O.D. Book Reviews

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea is an adorable choice for young graphic novel fans. These are two of the cutest characters you can imagine, and the three short stories that comprise this graphic novel for beginning readers hold all the humor and charm you could ask for if you are between the ages of 6 and 9 and happen to like waffles.

Along with the three stories, we also get a short section of facts about narwhals and jellyfish and a Narwhal Song! My favorite is the story entitled "Narwhal and the Best Book Ever". This is an excellent homage to the power of reading and will engage young readers just starting to discover and develop their own feelings about books.

The drawings are simple and bold, as is the text. Bold lines and lots of open spaces fill this first book in a series. I can't wait to see the next one and look forward to recommending this series to young fans of books like Squish, Babymouse, and Krosoczka's Lunch Lady series. Truly excellent!

Jelly has never heard of a Narwhal and thinks he's imagining the new friend he just met. Narwhal has never heard of a jellyfish and thinks the same of Jelly. Together the two become fast friends, form their own pod, and discover the best book ever.

Narwhal and Jelly are like a graphic novel marine version of Elephant and Piggie for lower grades. The illustrations are simple but cute and emotive. The plots aren't super complicated, but are fun and things kids will identify with, and overall they're super delightful. Can't wait for more Narwhal and Jelly.

I loved this cute, funny comic book for early readers. Short sentences and mostly simple vocabulary make this an excellent choice for new readers and newly independent readers. This looks like the first book in a series. Simple pictures and a limited color palette give the book a fresh breezy style. Like many easy readers, this book contains several very short stories featuring a limited cast of characters. The stars in this case are Narwhal and Jellyfish. While other characters do appear, this pair of friends are the focus of Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea. It seems to me the book should have equal appeal to both boys and girls, making it a smart choice for school and public libraries as well as teacher's collections. I can't wait to read it with my granddaughter but I'm certain newly independent readers will enjoy reading it alone as well.

I bought this book for my seven year old nephew as a birthday gift. He pulled it out last week while I'm visiting and we read it together. What a delightful book! The illustrations are fun and funny, and the characters are great. I like the graphic novel format as well. It was a real pleasant surprise to find THREE stories in this book! There are also some fun facts about narwhals and jellyfish included too.

This is a lovely little book for young readers, and I fell in love with it too. I will definitely purchase it for my own children when I have them. I will be purchasing the second and third for my nephew's birthday, even though the third one comes out about a month after, so he can continue the adventures of narwhal and jelly. Keep these books coming!

Great book! Reminds me a lot of Elephant & Piggie series. I thought some of the puns were hilarious, but definitely over my 4yo daughter's head (I noticed now that it says ages 6-9, but thought if I was reading to her it might be appropriate since she is a book-aholic)... had to try and explain them... she laughed, but not sure she actually understood... The puns also make me question how good this would be for a beginner reader, as they are totally made up words. I'm not sure when kids fully grasp puns, but when they do, they'd absolutely get a kick out of this book. They also include some other clever things (like a blank page in the middle of the book), that I found amusing, but my daughter wasn't too sure about... "Why is there a blank page?" she asked...

Anyhow, I really liked the format of the book, sort of comic-book/children's story hybrid... and there are a few short stories within the book. My daughter said it is her new favorite book (she gets a new favorite pretty frequently, but she did truly seem to enjoy it).

'Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea' by Ben Clanton is a super fun graphic novel for young readers. I liked the characters and even learned a few things about narwhals.

Narwhal is the kind of joyful character anyone would want to befriend. When jellyfish meets him, they become unusual friends. They don't have a lot in common, but they like waffles. When narwhal starts a narwhal club, he invites everyone but jellyfish. Will jellyfish be invited, or will he be left out of the fun?

The simple drawings and fun situations make for a good early reader graphic novel. I loved the characters and the way they play together. There are even some fun facts about narwhals. This was fun.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

As a parent and paraeducator I am always on the lookout for cute, clever reads that are fun while sneaking in a lesson. Narwhal is one of the best I've read recently and my 7-year-old absolutely loved it. The adventures of Narwhal and Jelly are sure to bring plenty of giggles and smiles to kids who are just becoming independent readers. The optimism and kindness of Narwhal might feel a little cloying to some adults but I found it sweet and encouraging.

I would recommend this for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade readers. It can be read alone but is also an enjoyable partner read with a parent.

Notes: ARC received via NetGalley.

In Unicorn of the Sea, there are three separate stories: 1) Narwhal meets Jelly, 2) Narwhal forms a pod, and 3) Narwhal shows Jelly the best book ever. In between the stories, Clanton provides facts about narwhals and jellyfish. In the third story (my favorite), Narwhal shows Jelly his favorite book, which has blank pages, and he teaches Jelly how to use his imagination. The illustrations are bright and simple, with just a few panels per page or full-page illustrations, making it perfect for young readers on their first journey with sequential art.

This was a very cute story that I really enjoyed. Another good selection for young readers.
(Library Copy)

It was nice coming home from work to see my 7 year old totally glued to this book. He just started to read better a little while ago and has been on a reading frenzy. He's a fan of Pete the Cat, but this is a step above that for sure. I like graphic novel approach to the look and layout, plus this was printed on good quality paper. My son read all three tales and will probably be reading this again and again. That makes me very happy to see him so interested in a book. He says his favorite character is the Narwhal.

Super cute! I loved everything about this book, the fun voice, cute illustrations, and the limited color palette. I had to check the cover to see if it was a MO Willems book...VERY similar, which sort of had me scratching my head. Regardless, fits right in with the Piggy and Gerald books, which are early-readers. Narwhal is for the early-reader transitioning into longer sentences and bigger words while still being fun to ready by just about everyone. A keeper for sure.

My 7 year old daughter is obsessed with this book! She is considered an advanced reader in her first grade class and read this with no problems. I am glad I took a chance on ordering this book, it seems to have captivated her attention! We also bought the other two Narwhal books in this series and she equally loves those as well.

Utterly adorable! An easy reader in comics format about a Narwhal who meets a jellyfish and they become best of friends. This contains three episodic adventures:how they met, how they create a Narwhal pod, and finally, they make up a story about a superhero waffle and his strawberry sidekick. Very entertaining plus we learn a bit of information about both jellyfish and narwhals.The drawings are so cute but very simplistic. They'll have kids wanting to draw their own versions. A delight!

I love this book! I spotted it in the Graphic Novel section of my local bookstore. What could be better than a Narwhal who is friends with a Jellyfish and loves waffles? I also love the author is a self-proclaimed Merman.

I LOVE this book! It is cute and funny and easy to read. Probably for young grade school children (maybe first or second grade reading level). It made me laugh out loud! I especially like Narwhal's book....that is when I laughed. I loved the Pod he created. This is just a jolly book and the pictures are fun and clever. If Narwhal has another book I'm getting it! Very fun characters!

Ben Clanton has created a simple yet adorable book that my daughter loves! She has read it several times. Although this is not a long and detailed book it is fun! I call it a "between" book that makes her laugh and want to read before the next chapter book. Clanton is one of the few writers who has a Narwhal for a character. My daughter loves that. We are excited for the next in the series!

Narwhal combines education about sea creatures with the joys of diversity, the fun of reading with the freedom of creating with one's own imagination. Drawn simply, it will inspire children to pick up crayons and draw.

The three sections will allow the reader to pause and explore each section. The graphic novel influences contribute to the contemporary feel of this humorous picture book.

I have two kids, ages 3 and 10. They received this book as a gift and they love it! It's not always easy to find something they can both enjoy with their age gap, but there is the right amount of silly and clever humor to make them both happy. It's also a book I don't mind reading over and over again with them.

This is an unusual little paperback of very short stories (as in the classic Little Bear books), ideal for kids around 4-5. Cute and simple illustrations, sassy attitude, and a mix of animal facts and animal silliness (like eating waffles under the sea). Narwhal assembles a pod (family) of friends when no other narwhals are available, and shares adventures in particular with a little jelly fish.

This book is simply adorable. It is a perfect little story to read to littles, and the art is just too cute. It's so cute, you may be forced to read the book over and over to the wee ones in your life. :)

I look forward to more adventures of Narwhal and Jelly.

My daughter is 7 almost 8, & she is coming to the end of the 2nd grade. She reads just slightly below reading level & she hates reading. About a week ago there was a book fair at school & my daughter wanted to buy a book but I told her that I was not able to get any this time but she was welcome buy 1 with her own money. She went & picked this book... she came home & saod she had already read the book 3 times since buying it. She reads this book atleast 2-3 times every day. I ordered the other books in this series & can't wait to give them to her!

A great book about friendship that has awesome illustrations and lovable characters. I loved the facts section and am glad there are more books featuring Narwhal and Jelly. Kids will LOVE them! (My 6 year old nephew has been reading it over and over again!)

My sister sent this to me for my birthday (I'm 42 years old) and I rolled and laughed so much reading this. It is a fun, beautiful, silly, goofy story. I want to read the next books in the series.
I loved it so much!
It's worth reading if you are 4 or 40 or 80! Read this book!!!

Fun and cute book, easy to read for my 6 year old. He liked the illustrations and the story, too, and laughed a lot.
I like the first of the three stories, where the jelly could not believe the narwhal was real, and they were trying to figure out how to prove that anything is real, and they decided that they both are imaginary friends.

“Are you real?
“Last time I checked. Are you?”

This is a philosophy book disguised as a children’s book. It annoyed some of the children around here, especially the ones who have accidentally asked if something is real. Well yes, yes it is.

Then there is the Pod. What is a pod if it is not fabulous to belong to? Doesn’t everyone deserve a Pod? And don’t we make our own friends and family?

It is about imagination and reality and fun. It is just awesome.

This is very appropriate for younger to mid elementary children. There is zero potty humor and no questionable language, which is refreshing. The illustrations are very appealing for a visual reader. Highly recommend!

I can't believe this book received less than 5 stars from anyone. I read it tonight with my 7.5 and 3.5 year old sons. We loved the comic book style - such a refreshing change and the quirky humor. I've already preordered the next book!

I picked up Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea because I am trying to build a library for my soon to arrive grand daughter. I once had a nice kids section in my books, but I gave up. I never thought I would have any grandchildren at this point. In fact ,I had been assured by my kids that I would not. Anyway, I am starting fresh and this looked like a cute addition for future reading times. My nephew is a huge fan of the octonauts, and so a fan of narwhals. He's 4, and I sat down to read this to him and he was delighted with the story. He's the perfect age for it, I think?

The pages are all the blue of the cover, and they are filled with line drawings and just a few simple words on each page. It reminds me of the format of comic books. Cute book, I'm glad I chose it.

Very cute graphic novel. I bought it for my nephew, who is turning 5 and starting to read on his own. This book has some great stories, fun facts, and adorable characters and I love being able to share my love of graphic novels with him!

Bought without knowing anything about the book. I liked the illustration at my kids book fair and grabbed it for them. My 7 year both read it to be, he laughed so much and truly enjoyed it. As a parent, I like how it shows life lessons. 1. How positive someone can be (like the Narwhal). 2. How someone can misunderstand a situation (like the jelly). Great find!!!

Our six year old daughter absolutely loves this book. We reread it over and over again. The Narwhal is so happy and enthusiastic while teaching children wonderful lessons and fun facts about Nawhal and Jelly Fish! We can't wait for the next book!

A cute way to introduce graphic novels to the younger set.
Easy to read, with plenty of nice illustrations.
My 8 year old grandson read it over and over again, he was
that enchanted with the story.
Full of fun puns that will bring forth giggles from your little ones.
Recommended for 6 to 9 year olds.

My 6-year-old daughter looooves this book. She has read it over and over for about 15-20 times now. She shared it with our family, her friends and her class. Guess the teacher liked it too so that she asked two students to play each role and read it to the class. A very well-written book; funny and lovely.

This book was great to spread your imagination and show the excitement with such different animals. My daughter loves this book, She has always loved narwhals and this book made her imagination and love for narwhals even stronger. Thanks Ben!!

My best friend gave me this book for Christmas. But I opened it late. I was so happy I did. I got it the day Carrie Fisher died and desperately needed the laughter and love it gave me. I would recommend this to anyone who needs laughter, love, and the awesomeness of a best friend imaginary or real.

I loved this cute book of short stories featuring Narwhal and Jelly. I love the emphasis on friendship. It was a very fun read! This would be very easy to use to introduce kids to easy books or to get them started on graphic novels.

While the story is cute, and children can learn a few facts about narwhals, I was very dismayed to find a misspelling in the book! The word "their" is misspelled as "thier" on page 21. I'm surprised no one caught this.

Cute characters and illustrations. Could have been so much more. My tween loves Narwhals so loves the imagery in this book but as a mom, the overall stories are cheesy and really don't teach anything or send any kind of message so it's not something that I would buy for a child to read at bedtime. Seems like it was put together in a hurry. Had potential but failed.

The cover depicts a false image of the narwhal and perpetuates the notion that the creature is in fact a horned whale. The protrusion is actually a tooth, not a horn or antler, which would make the narwhal 'the snagged tooth of the sea'.