Not Quite Narwhal

Not Quite Narwhal #1

by Jessie Sima

This New York Times bestseller is soon to be an animated series on Netflix! In the tradition of Uni the Unicorn and Gaston, this heartwarming and adorable debut picture book tells the story of a young unicorn who was born under the sea to a family of narwhals.Growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the cuisine. Then one night, an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface, where he spots a mysterious creature that looks just like him! Kelp discovers that he and the creature are actually unicorns. The revelation leaves him is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? But perhaps, if Kelp is clever, he may find a way to have the best of both worlds. Told with heartwarming illustrations and spare, sweet text, Jessie Sima’s debut picture book is about fitting in, standing out, and the all-encompassing love of family.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Animals, Unicorns, Fiction, Storytime

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2017

About the author

Jessie Sima is an author and illustrator of picture books. They grew up in a small town in southern New Jersey and now write and draw in a creaky house in New York State. When not making books, Jessie can be found reading graphic novels, watching spooky movies, and playing outside with dogs.

Visit them online at jessiesima.com!

Reviews

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.



Born deep in the ocean, Kelp is a unicorn who knows he's different from his family of narwhals. When a rogue current carries him away from home, he breaches the surface and spots a sparkling creature that looks just like him. Curious, he ventures onto land in search of the mysterious creature.

Everything on land was strange and beautiful - but also kind of scary.
Kelp began to think he might never find the creature that looked just like him.

Not Quite Narwhal begins with a dazzling cover that glitters and sparkles. Inside, a harmonious blend of brilliant colors depicted in soft hues portray an enchanting array of creatures and places: rainbow fish and silver-white jellyfish, flitting through a pale blue sea; round white eyes, floating in the darkness of night; and vibrant butterflies flitting over jade colored fields.

Kelp is a darling unicorn with his turquoise hair, bubblegum pink nose, and spotted rump. Whether he's wearing floaties in the sea, leaping like a frog on land, or splashing around beneath a rainbow, Kelp is the cutest not-quite-narwhal. His journey is visually gratifying as he ventures from the cozy, lavender confines of the shell he lives in beneath the sea to a sun-dappled forest. He treks through a moonlit night with twinkling stars, to a rainbow laden field where butterflies flit and flowers sprout in red and pink, yellow and purple.

After his sojourn on land, Kelp is confronted with a difficult question:

Did he want to be a land narwhal with the unicorns . . .
Or a sea unicorn with the narwhals?
Kelp couldn't decide.

Touching on identity and fitting in vs. standing out, Kelp is the perfect role model for learning to love oneself and appreciating that our individual traits make each of us unique and special.

With a heartfelt message, ravishing illustrations, and a sprinkle of humor, Not Quite Narwhal is a must have.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #9 of 2017.

Tara: 4 stars. Cute. But why didn't the narwhals tell him he was a unicorn right away, if they knew!?
Harry (12): 4.5 stars. Be who your inner self wants you to be.
Hank (11): 4.3 stars. I thought I was there! I completely forgot where I was when I was reading it!
Lyra (10): 4.5 stars. Super cute. He has friends of all kinds, and he likes them all. Be yourself!
Dave: 4 stars. I like it quite a bit. Kelp is born to Narwhals, and is loved and accepted, though s/he never completely fits in, he can't swim well. One day he washes up on the shore and discovers s/he/they is a unicorn! A kind of happy, hopeful fantasy as Kelp is loved accepted in both worlds. I thought of it initially as a kind of trans story, but I do think it works for any bi-cultural situations.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dad: Poppy loves unicorns:








She's kindof been in a phase. ---How many unicorns do you have, Poppy?

Poppy: MMMMmmmmm... I think... Probably about four. ...Because my baby one is lost, and the other three is not lost.

Dad: What are their names?

Poppy: Sally, Unicornia, Lilliana, and Mia.

Dad: What about you, when you turn into a unicorn? Do you have a name?

Poppy: Also, Lilly. Not Lilliana.

Dad: So Lilly and Lilliana are two different unicorns?

Poppy: Yeeeesssssss... ...Because... Because Lilliana has an "anna" in it, and Lilly just has "Lilly." Wait, are we just talking about unicorns? I think we're just talking about unicorns.

Dad: Do you like talking about unicorns?

Poppy: Yeah. It makes me feel happy. As long as we're just talking about unicorns. Because they're my favorite amnimal in the whole entire world. The reason because I like them is because they have a horn, and the horn makes them so that THEY HAVE MAGIC!!!! So, it's just that... I just like them... They're my favorite thing, and we can still like them even if they're not real...

Dad: So you don't think they're real?

Poppy: Yeah, but I still like them and all.

Dad: Yeah. So did you like the book?

Poppy: Yes. Because it had lots of unicorns in it. So, like... we can show you. But we have to write the review by opening up the book and showing you how many unicorns there is. *Moves computer mouse off the book while saying,* "So, we have to move that thing out of the way so we can open up the book."

*Starts counting unicorns, drops book, screams, picks up book, keeps counting...*

*Counting is a little suspect*

*While she's counting I'll take a moment to add that I only review the CUTEST kids' books. (Or ones the kids beg me to review, which happens less and less.)*

*Poppy is now counting fish, etc...*

Poppy: I forget what these unicorn-thingys are... Narwhals? I think. Fish, fish, fish... Narwhal, narwhal, and there's seaweed, and then the water...

Dad: Okay, Poppy. Hold on. How many stars should we give it?

Poppy: Maybe five.

Dad: Didn't you say 100 before?

Poppy: Yeah, but it only goes up to five. And I changed my mind.

Dad: What was your favorite part of the book?

Poppy: When he finds the unicorn part. Can I keep going? Because I'm still finishing up the book.

Dad: You mean you're reading it again while we're writing the review?

Poppy: Aren't you writing down what's in the book?

Dad: Ummm... I can't write down what's in the book, because then people won't read the book, and they won't see the pictures.

Poppy: Oh. Ok.

Dad: Should we be done with the review?

Poppy: *Nods.* I'm tired.

[abigailscupoftea · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this while at barnes & noble and it was so cute. 🥺 the illustrations are so vibrant and beautiful! 🦄

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Not Quite Narwhal is the sweet story of Kelp, a "sea unicorn," who doesn't quite fit in underwater, but when he discovers a community of "land narwhals" (also known as unicorns!), he misses his friends under the sea. Author/illustrator Jesse Sima's "fish-out-of-water," or "unicorn-out-of-water," story will delight readers as they follow the adventures of Kelp. The illustrations are perfectly adorable. A must-read for all unicorn and/or narwhal aficionados! -Diana F.

Find a copy at Scottsdale Public Library

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and sweet story about differences and similarities and relationships. Kelp has grown up in the sea with narwals, but a storm makes him aware of unicorns. He isn’t sure whether he must choose to be a land narwhal with the unicorns or a sea unicorn with the narwhals.

My little girls liked the story and the “very cute” illustrations, but they haven’t asked for it again this week.
3.5*

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

We couldn't love this book anymore. It's a fun and important story that teaches that looking different doesn't matter to those who love you! Especially great for any children of adoption! Can't wait for Jessie Sima to write another book!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many stories of horses, goats, children, wanting to be unicorns . . . and here's a unicorn who is raised feeling less than magical, because they aren't a narwhal! So cute! The illustrations are perfection!

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable young unicorn doesn't quite fit in with his narwhal friends and family. Then he finds out why.
Beautiful illustrations, and a sweet little story about acceptance and respect for difference.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narwhals are underwater unicorns, don't you know!?

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and positive.
Make sure you don't miss the jacket photo of the author as a small child unicorn.

[Keyhan Mosavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

سبک جدید مورد علاقه ام کتابای مصور تو سبک نوجوان‌ و کودک شدن کلی حس خوب دارن.
این کتاب یکمم برای non-binary ها نوشته شده .
خطر اسپویل

my favorite part of the book :
did he want to be a land narwhale with unicorns...
or a sea unicorn with the narwhals?
but he realized that maybe... just maybe ...
he didn't have to choose

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who we are, where we belong, how big all of this can be. Lovely little book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the greatest book of all time.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

This gem was chosen for our unicorn aficionado, and she approved heartily with the clever narwhal / unicorn twist. It was clever and cute. The illustrations were very supportive of the story line.

A vote was taken and 3.5, with a round up was the result.

[Sandhya Menon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very cute!! My daughter (8) read the first page and then immediately called her older brother over so she could read to him and show him the pictures. The illustration of baby Kelp made her melt, and she loved the happy message of love and acceptance. :) Can't wait for more from Jessie!

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will use for theme.
This little book surprised me. Packed with a message that I didn't know it had.
This one is going to end up in my picture book collection.

[Roya · Rating 4 out of 5]

از اون کتاب‌های کودکی که باید حتما خونده بشه تا از همون سن کم، آدم به خودش، استعدادهاش، جایگاهش و "کیستی" فکر کنه و وقتی متوجه تفاوتش با محیط و آدم‌های اطرافش شد، به جای سرکوب خودش و احساس سرخوردگی، دنبال محیط و جایگاه واقعی خودش بره و بدونه که مهم نیست چه کسی باشه، دوست‌هاش پذیرای اون هستند و ازش حمایت می‌کنند چون اون رو همونجور که واقعا هست دوست دارند. پس نگران از دست دادن آدم‌های مهم و صمیمی زندگی نباش و فقط خودت رو بشناس و از خودت بودن لذت ببر.🐈‍⬛

[Mississippi Library Commission · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about Kelp the Narwhal was like a breath of fresh air. In a completely non-didactic way, Sima explores being part of a community, being different, and being yourself. The illustrations are incredibly sweet and the text is quite lovely as well. All this, plus unicorns!

[Becki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little sparkly book.

The gist: Kelp has always been different from other Narwhals and finds out maybe he's not one. And maybe it's not such a bad thing to be different. What a great book about love, acceptance and family and that you can have all that and then some.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok just take five minutes and read this book. It's wonderful. If it doesn't make you smile you should seriously question whether or not you are a robot person.

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute kid's book that normalizes being different! It could be really great for any kid, but I think it could benefit adopted, neurodivergent, and disabled kids a lot.

[Demi Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

De recensie werd oorspronkelijk gepubliceerd op: https://bazarow.com/recensie/recensie...

Kelp werd diep in de oceaan geboren en leeft samen met narwals. Al vroeg wist hij dat hij anders was dan de narwals om hem heen. Zijn slagtand was bijvoorbeeld niet zo lang als de rest, en narwalhapjes lust hij niet. Voor Kelp zijn vrienden leek dit geen probleem, dus besloot Kelp er zelf ook niet mee te zitten.
Op een dag werd Kelp meegenomen door een sterke stroom water, waardoor hij dicht bij de kust kwam. Op de klip zag Kelp een dier dat hem bekend voorkwam. Het leek op.. Kelp! Kelp ging vervolgens naar de kant, om te ontdekken wat het mysterieuze glinsterende dier precies is.

Jezelf ontdekken
Kelp ontdekt aan land wat hij precies is. Maar het prentenboek Net geen narwal laat zien dat het niet erg is om er anders uit te zien. Je kan prima ergens bijhoren zonder dat je lijkt op de rest van de groep. Erg leuk gedaan! Een andere boodschap in het verhaal is dat je niet altijd hoeft te kiezen om ergens bij te horen. Dat je je prettig voelt bij een groep, betekent niet dat je niet ook bij een andere groep aan kan sluiten. De ontdekking van wat Kelp is, is in een leuk en hartverwarmend jasje gestoken.

Net geen narwal is een kleurrijk prentenboek geïllustreerd en geschreven door Jessie Sima. De illustraties maken heel duidelijk dat Kelp inderdaad sterk afwijkt van de Narwals. Aan het begin bevind je je onder water en zijn de tekeningen rustgevend, maar hoe meer Kelp zichzelf ontdekt, hoe kleurrijker het geheel wordt. Dit geeft het gevoel dat jezelf ontdekken een feestje kan zijn.
Sima is schrijver en illustrator die in Amerika woont, graag graphic novels leest en ook graag griezelige films kijkt.

Net geen narwal is prettig vertaald door Henrieke Herber. Van Not Quite Narwhal is inmiddels een serie te bekijken op Netflix, waar twee seizoenen van de serie te zien zijn, ook in het Nederlands.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is Kelp a Narwhal or a unicorn? Find out in this super-adorable book.

I have been meaning to read this book for ages, and today was the day I finally got the chance to read it. Boy, this was just so much fun to read.

Of course, we all know that Kelp isn't a narwhal, come on, it is that obvious, but that definitely didn't lessen the enjoyment of the book. As the main point of this book is that Kelp discovers this himself. He needs to discover who he is, and where he will live in the end.

We see him first grow up in the ocean, trying to be like a narwhal, and failing, but he is trying his best and I loved that the narwhal friends didn't mind him not being one of them. They cared about him. But then something happens and our little Kelp is swept away from his family and friends.

But this is good for him, as he discovers Unicorns. AKA his real family. I had such a laugh at him swimming to the island (and taking ages) and then laughing when he tried to walk (or leapfrog). And then I was smiling as he found out about his family, about what unicorns are and how they act and prance and do all sorts of rainbow stuff.

Given that the book still had some pages I knew this one would just end here, and that made me very happy. I was very happy with what our little Kelp does, what he chooses to do, though it is hard for him. It was quite funny that the narwhal knew already what Kelp was, and they probably thought he took oh so long to figure it out himself. :P

The ending was just the best part, at first a bit sad, but then came the best solution. Now Kelp has the best of two worlds.

The art? Well, that was one of the two reasons (next to the cover) why I wanted to read this book, and it brought all I hoped and more. Kelp was drawn adorably (with that tiny little helmet), and I loved how everything else was drawn.

All in all, definitely recommended to all. This is just too adorable, sweet, cute, and at times a bit sad.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unicorns and rainbows!

Kelp was raised in the ocean as a narwhal, but he’s different than his fellow narwhals. Everything from his short tusk and slow swimming makes him stand out from the pack. His family doesn’t mind though. Kelp just keeps on swimming until one day a strong current sweeps him off course and above water! On land, Kelp befriends all sorts of new animals--including unicorns. Hmm….Kelp can’t help noticing that he looks just like a unicorn. He fits right in. Could Kelp actually be a unicorn? And not a narwhal?

This sweet, colorful story about fitting in and standing out is perfect for young readers who feel torn between two places or struggle with fitting in at home or school. Kelp misses his family when he’s on land and vice versa when he’s at sea. Does he really have to pick between the two? I feel like this story could be seen and interpreted in many different ways. I took to heart the unconditional support and acceptance—Kelp’s family accepts him just as he is in this world. And hope! I loved how Kelp found a balance between his two worlds. I hope you check out Not Quite Narwhal and see how it fits in your world and heart.

I loved the oodles & oodles of rainbows, soft illustrations, and heartfelt messages of friendship and family and identity. Be sure to check out how the unicorns toast their marshmallows! :)

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new favorite! Adorable illustrations, and a story that can be read on many levels. I can see using with younger students relating to friendship and community building, yet with older students it could be read into much more about identity, who we are, how we find our true selves, and acceptance. Love it and will be sharing often!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was browsing the children's section at Barnes and Noble last night and I couldn't help but to plop myself down on the floor and read this book. All I can say, is that if you have a youngster that loves unicorns, you will want to buy this book. The page where the the unicorns are teaching Kelp to shoot rainbows out of his horn...adorable. Come to think of it, I think I want this book.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable little book! Illustrations are wonderful and the story is heart warming. As an adoptee, this book really spoke to me (especially the ending). 5 stars all day long

[Cassandra Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so cute! I love Kelp. :D

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations with a beautiful message.