Joy the Jellyfish has a very serious problem. More than anything, he wants to make friends. But how on earth can he make friends when he's nearly invisible!
He tries to get the attention of the other Great Barrier Reef creatures--Amy Anemone, a school of sea horses, Gantian the Great White Shark, Bogart the Blowfish, Daphne the Dolphin--but because of his near-invisible nature, he's mostly ignored.
"My only wish is to have a friend," says Joy the Jellyfish. Then, as he keeps traveling deeper into the ocean, and the waters become icier and darker, he meets Bella Beluga the Whale, who teaches him the secret of friendship and how friendship itself has nothing to do with his nearly-invisible physical nature. Thanks to Bella, Joy learns how to overcome shyness and make friends. More confident, he swims back to the reef, this time powered with the knowledge of true friendship.
Joy the Jellyfish is a sweet story about friendship and about how to overcome shyness in order to make friends. The prose and dialogue are engaging and the brightly colored illustrations captivating. This is a book that will make a fine, delightful gift to any child, not only because of its beautiful artwork and engaging plot, but also because it teaches the different animals which inhabit the great barrier reefs. This book is the second collaboration between talented illustrator Kevin Scott Scollier and his author wife, Kristen. I hope this book will not be their last and I certainly look forward to more children's picture books from this winning team.
*****
JOY THE JELLYFISH
Written by Kristen Collier
Illustrated by Kevin Collier
Dragonfly Publishing
October 2007
24 pages
Paperback: $12.99
Hardcover: $25
JOY THE JELLYFISH
24 pages,
Written by Kristen Collier
Illustrated by Kevin Collier
Dragonfly Publishing,
October 2007
24 pages
Paperback: $12.99
Hardcover: $25
I just finished reading this truly delightful children's picture book about a little Jellyfish named Joy and her search for true friendship. I read it to my ten-year old daughter and she loved it and found the illustrations charming! You can always count on a child for an honest review :-)
I'll be posting my review in a few days, so stay tuned!
Best,
Mayra
Whale Song
By Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Kunati, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-60164-007-9
Copyright 2007
Trade Paperback, 200 pages, $12.95
General Fiction/YA
Whale Song is a beautifully written novel that deals with a controversial subject and combines elements of myth, legend, and family drama.
The story begins when thirteen-year old Sarah Richardson moves with her family to Vancouver Island, leaving behind her old life and best friend. In spite of the fact that not all of her new classmates offer her a warm welcome, Sarah soon makes a good friend, a native girl called Goldie. A white girl where most of the people are Indian, Sarah soon experiences prejudice and racism. Her escape is her loving home, her friendship with Goldie, and her love for the killer whales that inhabit the island waters. From Goldie’s grandmother she learns many legends and Indian myths about these magnificent, intelligent mammals.
Then disaster strikes and all that Sarah holds dear is snatched away, leaving her enveloped in a dark vortex of confusion and loneliness. As her life abruptly changes, the issue of racism is replaced by a much more controversial one. Does the end justify the means? Does love justify breaking the law?
The story is told in the first person by Sarah herself; the reader is drawn into an immediate intimate rapport with the young protagonist. The language, in its simplicity, heightens the strong moral conflicts which carry the plot. In spite of the family drama, no silly sentimentalism mars the prose, and Sarah possesses a strong voice that is both honest and devoid of embellishments. The author has managed to create a sense of serenity and beauty that has to do with the mythical setting and the ‘parallel’ presence of the killer whales and wolves.
Consider this excerpt taken from the prologue and which sets the tone and mood for the rest of the story:
I once feared death.
It is said that death begins with the absence of life. And life begins when death is no longer feared. I have stared death in the face and survived. A survivor who has learned about unfailing love and forgiveness. I realize now that I am but a tiny fragment in an endless ocean of life, just as a killer whale is a speck in her immense underwater domain. (p.9)
A sad yet uplifting novel, Whale Song is about the fear and innocence of a young girl and about coming to terms with the shocking and painful truth one often must face. Above all, it is a novel about forgiveness and forgiving oneself.
