PUFFY THE PUFFERFISH

A pufferfish searches for a pal in Puranik’s simple picture book for young readers.

Puffy has trouble making friends because his prickly physical form causes him to accidentally push, shove, and poke the sea life around him, but he’s determined to keep trying, nonetheless. First, he meets a jellyfish, but he bumps into one of its tentacles, inadvertently hurting the creature, who swims away. Next, he tries to befriend an angelfish, but accidentally injures it, too. As Puffy dejectedly swims home, he hears a cry for help. He finds a fish stuck in some coral, with a tail “very much like his own tail”; he pulls out a pufferfish named Spike, and they quickly become best friends. This is a sweet story, and the fact that the work was completed when the author was 8 may inspire other young writers. Puranik’s story uses simple words that beginning readers will find easy to understand, as well as a clear typeface. The colorful cartoon illustrations by the author will appeal to the youngest readers, and they accurately support the text. However, the story offers little information about real pufferfish, which would have been of interest to would-be marine scientists. Still, the message of determination and helpfulness will ring true for children who’ve experienced difficulties making friends.

A simple but broadly accessible story of friendship.