NELLIE THE NARWHAL

A narwhal cavorts with different sea creatures in this rhyming picture book.

Nellie, a narwhal, seeks friends and adventure. But her fellow sea creatures rebuke her requests to play. Harper, a whale, tells Nellie she is too small to splash her tail. Bill, a juggling octopus, says: “You’re a nice narwhal. I do think you’re great. / But you have no arms, and you see I have eight.” Tommy, a turtle, remarks that Nellie lacks the shell necessary for playing hide-and-seek. Disappointed, Nellie thinks of new ways the others might enjoy playing with her. She explains to Harper that they can splash their tails regardless of size. When she visits Bill, he uses his extra arms to play a tickling game. Finally, Nellie shares a game idea with Tommy: “You see this seaweed I’ve tied in a loop? You can throw it onto my tusk like a hoop.” The upbeat text asserts: “Nellie and all her friends could now see / It’s alright when you do things differently.” Cullen and Ellis’ message underscoring the celebration of differences is evident, if didactic. Still, it is appropriate for young readers. The images by theillustrators.com.au feature graphic, cartoonlike creatures with large eyes and an appealing backdrop of undersea activity in aquatic hues. The enjoyable book includes “Nellie’s Ocean Trivia,” offering five multiple-choice questions relevant to the story, such as “What kind of animal is a turtle?”

A lively and approachable animal tale about creative solutions and friendship.