Not Quite Narwhal

By Jessie Sima
Published in 2017

Why we chose this book:
It is competing with Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great in the 2018 March Book Madness.

Mom's Review

A unicorn who lives with narwhals discovers that he is a unicorn, not a narwhal.

Kelp is a unicorn who lives under the sea wearing some sort of helmet. He associates with narwhals and believes himself to be a different sort of narwhal. One day, however, goes ashore and meets unicorns. Torn between the sea and his newfound herd, he determines that he can be part of both communities. Essentially the same as Liz Wong's Quackers, just with a unicorn and narwhals instead of a cat with ducks. It was a cute story with cute illustrations. I do have some pressing questions, however. How does Kelp breathe? He wears a helmet, presumably filled with air, but how does the air get in? What happens to the air he exhales? Also, where are his parents? And how exactly did he get that helmet? All the narwhals knew he was a unicorn. How did he not know? Despite overthinking a story about a talking unicorn, I enjoyed reading it with T.

Son's Review
(age 3 years)

While reading:
about Kelp walking
Son: It's not easy for him. [He watched] the turtle!

about seeing unicorns
Son: They're unicorns!

After reading:
Mom: What's happening here [on the last page]?

Son: That unicorn's burying that unicorn with sand. This one's playing and this one's riding this one! That's silly.
(A unicorn was riding a narwhal.)

Mom: This reminds me of Quackers. What was that about? Is Kelp really a narwhal? It's kind of similar...

Son: A duck story. Quackers is really a cat...Kelp is a unicorn.

Mom: What's your favorite part?

Son, pointing to spooky forest: This page...I think they are eyes.