Review by Booklist Review
Sima's sweet debut features an adorable unicorn with an identity problem. Kelp has spent his whole life living underwater with a pod of narwhals he wears a glass helmet with a hole for his horn and he's always known he's different. Luckily, the narwhals don't seem to mind, even when he must wear water wings to swim. But when a strong current takes him close to shore and he spies creatures that look just like him, his curiosity is sparked, so he sets out on land and eventually finds them: Land narwhals! he says, to which a land narwhal replies, Actually, we're unicorns. And by the looks of it, so are you! Kelp worries about having to choose between the land and sea, but the unicorns and narwhals are a resourceful, understanding bunch, and they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy. Sima's bubbly, adorable artwork is nearly irresistible, particularly tiny Kelp, whose cartoonish gestures and expressions unmistakably communicate his emotions. This endearing tale will warm many a heart.--Greengoss, Annie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
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 © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Kelp is a (diving helmetwearing) unicorn born in the ocean among narwhals. He has always felt different but doesn't know why until he discovers the "mysterious, sparkling" land-based creatures (unicorns) whom he resembles. Kelp's journey of self-discovery requires suspension of disbelief; flat-looking Photoshop illustrations are full of visual jokes (e.g., a unicorn in floaties) that will have unicorn fans galloping for this book. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
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 helmetwith 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 theyand heare 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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
