SOUNDS LIKE JOY

A young mermaid makes an exciting musical discovery.

Joy finds a tambourine on an ocean reef. Unsure what it is, she dubs it a “jingle-jangle” because of the pleasing sounds it produces. Beating the jingle-jangle, she invites her animal friends to listen. They all enjoy her music, but in her exuberance, the tambourine’s bells fall off. “I’ll never find a sound like that again,” the tearful Joy laments. Her pals take turns trying to cheer her up. Tentacles waving, Octopus encourages Joy to “whoosh” and “swoosh” her arms, Whale urges her to sing along, Seahorse blows his nose, producing a “symphony of bubbles,” and Crab makes “a clacking sound that [gets] the twin rays twirling and whirling.” Finally, a swarm of eels buzz by, leading Joy to another delightful surprise. But the true gift is the music they’ve made along the way. Moises’ energizing, jewel-toned illustrations are the epitome of sweetness. The sea creatures are softly rounded, with fun details that further anthropomorphize them: eyelashes on Whale, a green pompadour-esque hairdo on Octopus, a tiny mustache on Crab. Wide-eyed, expressive Joy is brown-skinned with Afro-textured hair. Readers will relish the songlike onomatopoeia on almost every page, and careful youngsters will notice the cleverly placed breadcrumbs portending the jingle-jangle’s fate.

A harmonious tribute to the power of music—and friendship.