Something in Common: Narwhal, Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton

One day when Narwhal was out for a swim, he found himself in new waters.

"Whoa! What are YOU?" asked Jellyfish

"Me?" said Narwhal. "I'm Narwhal, the Narwhal. The Unicorn of the Sea."

"I'm a jellyfish," said Jellyfish.

"You don't look like any fish I've ever seen, but you do look kind of jelly-ish," replies Narwhal.

The two regard each other skeptically, each wondering if the other is a figment of his imagination.

Jellyfish is agog. A fish with a horn on his head? . (A tusk-tooth, actually, Narwhal points out.)

"I can't believe this! The thing I am imagining imagines that it's imagining ME!"

It's a weird way to start a friendship, but the ebullient and energetic Narwhal and the dour and wishy-washy jellyfish are somehow drawn to each other despite their differences. If such strange things as themselves exist in the sea, what other unimagined sights might they see? As the two set forth for a swim in new waters in search of more undersea novelty, they do discover an unsuspected commonality--they both love waffles. (Don't ask!)

"NOM NOM!" said Jellyfish.

Along their watery way, the duo meet other remarkable creatures, which Narwhal names: A shark ("Gnarly!"), a sea Turtle ("Turtley!"), an octopus ("Tentacular!"), all candidates for their new circle of friends--

"NARWHAL'S POD OF EXCELLENCE"

Ben Clanton's new Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea (A Narwhal and Jelly Book 1) (Tundra Books, 2017) offer three silly stories about this dynamic oceanic duo, told in comic-book-framed format, with plenty of humorous banter between the unlikely comrades, just right for primary readers who are looking for a touch of subtle and sophisticated humor in their easy-reading literature. Clanton's less-is-more artwork is reminiscent of masters of the genre such as P. D. Eastman and Syd Hoff, with simple blackline drawings backed by skillful use of color. As Kirkus Reviews puts it succinctly in their starred review, "Undersea adventures have never been so darn cute!"

Unlikely Friends: Wiggle and the Whale: A Book of Funny Friends (Alphaprints) by Roger Priddy

WHAT MAKES A PERFECT ANIMAL PAIR?

THE PLACE WHERE THEY LIVE?

OR A FEATURE THEY SHARE?

Blue Whale and Wiggles the Jellyfish are an odd couple of friends, but they share the fun of wiggling through the ocean currents along the coast.

Blue Whale is a good friend to have around for Wiggles, because the little jellyfish has one sometime neighbor he needs to dodge--King Louis of the Swamp--a giant salt water crocodile who is always pleased to meet to meet a new "friend"--for all the wrong reasons. If King Croc liked you too much, you were in big trouble!

King Louis has his own theme song....

MY FEET GO WADDLE, WADDLE.
AND MY TEETH GO CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP!

But Wiggle and Blue have another associate who feels a little different about King Louis. Chameleon is not altogether without his reservations about the King of the Swamp either, but he is an amphibian with a plan.

KING LOUIS IS MY REPTILE FRIEND; WE'RE DIFFERENT AS CAN BE.
AND WHEN HE'S VERY HUNGRY, I LIKE TO HIDE IN A TREE!

There are lots of other animals who have different quirks and virtues, Walter the Walrus, Grumpy the Rhino, and the svelte Alana Iguana, to name a few, in Roger Priddy's entry in his popular Alphaprints series, Wiggle and the Whale (An Alphaprints Picture Book): A book of funny friends and frenemies, all done up in pastel palette, sparkly, textured surfaces, and fingerprint faces, in a delightfully illustrated board book for preschoolers learning their colors and animal names, along with an engaging group of unlikely friends.