Sea Monkey & Bob

February 13, 2017
Ohi’s (Where Are My Books?) puckish cartoons and Reynolds’s (President Squid) fine comic timing light up this story about how friends help each other. Sea Monkey is scared that he’s going to sink to the bottom of the ocean; his friend Bob, a pufferfish, is worried that he will float to the top. Their anxious remarks drift next to them in the water as each friend tries to persuade the other that these outcomes are unlikely. Their genteel debate (“You are making some really good points here”) and dorky, contraction-free diction are funny no matter what they’re saying. “It is happening!” Bob groans. “I think I am floating, Sea Monkey!” “I think I am sinking!” yells Sea Monkey in return. Their solution—they discover that if they hold onto each other tightly, they won’t sink or float—is so sweet and sappy that Ohi paints a passing fish giving them some serious side eye. Young readers and listeners won’t, though: they’ll smile. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

February 15, 2017
Sea Monkey (a dapper, bow-tied brine shrimp) and Bob (a green-speckled puffer fish) both face a worrisome underwater plight--density.Surrounded by blue water and colorful corals, Sea Monkey is very concerned. What if his tiny but heavier-than-it-looks frame sinks to the bottom of the ocean? It is dark and scary down there. Bob thinks the idea is absurd, but Sea Monkey's logical list of heavy items such as anchors, tubas, rocks--even dinosaurs--changes his mind. ("You have never seen a dinosaur," admonishes Bob. "That is true. But I'm pretty sure they sink," Sea Monkey fires back.) But now Bob is worried. What if his very light frame floats to the top? There is air up there! He begins to list items that float, and terror seizes both oceanic creatures. But just as their worst fears begin to come true ("It is happening! I think I am floating, Sea Monkey!"), a clever solution stops them in their tracks. Sea Monkey and Bob's wry, deadpan riffs match Ohi's humorous digital asides. The text is told entirely in color-coded dialogue, Sea Monkey's lines printed in pink-outlined white letters and Bob's in green-outlined yellow. The ending feels slapdash given the relaxed pacing of the pair's banter to that point, but readers' funny bones won't mind. A barrel of giggles, exaltation of friendship, and slight science to boot. (Picture book. 4-8)

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July 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Sea Monkey is afraid he will sink to the bottom of the ocean, and Bob the puffer fish worries that he will float right up to the surface. Their solution? Hold on to each other and never let go. This is a humorous story of friendship and a great way to introduce the concept of buoyancy in a classroom. There are so many extension ideas here, such as a sink or float lesson. Bright illustrations will keep children's attention, though the dialogue-only text could cause confusion without the benefit of a good storyteller using tone and inflection. VERDICT A fun addition to any library and especially as part of a science lesson.-Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2017
Preschool-G Sea Monkey is terrified of sinking to the dark bottom of the ocean, and he obsesses about it to his friend Bob, a puffer fish. Bob tries to reassure him, but Sea Monkey has several convincing examples of things that sink (anchors, rocks, tubas, dinosaurs). Then the roles reverse: Bob realizes that things like blimps, feathers, and tennis balls all float, and he becomes worried that he is going to bob to the surface, where there is scary air. Fortunately, the pair realize that if they intertwine Sea Monkey's tail with Bob's fin, they can remain steady. Like Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books, the text consists entirely of the back-and-forth remarks between the two friends. Full-page digital illustrations showcase humorous background characters: a stadium full of sea creatures watch a floating blimp, and tourist fish in Hawaiian shirts pose for photos with a sunken anchor. Just the right amount of silliness enhances the tale of the already comical, bow tiewearing, google-eyed Sea Monkey and the bright yellow, puffed-out Bob.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)