I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean!

Starred review from April 2, 2007
Sherry, whose nature-themed, silk-screened apparel has won plaudits from Lucky
magazine and other fashion arbiters, makes a winning book debut with this story of a squid with a fondness for braggadocio. "I'm a giant
squid and I'm big
," announces the cartoony blue hero, whose adorable googly eyes and pointy head defuse any taint of arrogance. In quick order and punchy sentences, the squid enumerates all the species he outranks in the ocean, size-wise (each statement and its accompanying illustration gets a spread): "I'm bigger than these clams./ I'm bigger than this crab." So outsize is this squid's ego that when the food chain kicks in, and he suddenly finds himself inside the belly of a whale (along with numerous other aquatic creatures), he's only temporarily nonplussed (indicated by several wordless spreads). "I'm the biggest thing in this whale!" he proudly declares at the end. Working in collage and watercolor, Sherry renders his hero and habitat in bright colors and bold, simple shapes that will be surefire eye magnets for preschoolers (and stickers featuring the characters enhance bathtub fun). The squid's unwavering sense of confidence should strike a loud and strong chord with youngsters who believe they're the center of the universe. Ages 3-up.

May 1, 2007
PreS-A lighthearted, clever story presented in an oversize, colorful package. A bright blue giant squid cruises through the ocean, proudly noting that he is bigger than all the creatures he encounters. From shrimp to shark, he repeats his refrain, Im bigger than], sounding remarkably similar to a three-year-old cheerfully cataloging his world. Briefly dismayed when swallowed by a voracious whale (who has also swallowed up everyone else whole including the shark), the squid rallies by noting, Im the biggest thing in this whale! This buoyant tale, filled with nonthreatening cartoonish denizens of the deep blue (and turquoise and green) sea, makes no effort to be realistic or educational but just simple fun, which is its charm. (Note the squid on the back cover proudly stating that he is bigger than the bar code.) Bathtub stickers of all the creatures in the story with a warning label about choking hazards for the under-three set are includeda curious marketing decision since that seems the age of at least half the intended readership."Susan Moorhead, New Rochelle Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.