Out of the Blue

May 15, 2023
On a class trip to the aquarium, an octopus helps Coral see the beauty of being small in a big world. Coral feels invisible. Small in stature, she is overwhelmed and overlooked by her peers while on a visit to the aquarium. When she stays behind alone in the Bioluminescence Hall, she notices a tiny octopus named Kraken. As she observes him blend in among his surroundings, she realizes that being unnoticed has advantages. When her classmates find her, she shows them that quiet and invisibility have the power to reveal an entire world they otherwise would have missed. Yulo distills a difficult, relatable concept--even the small and seemingly unseen have a light to shine--into a digestible story for young readers. The illustrations deftly use background color to distinguish between the white expanse of the aquarium and the solid black darkness of Kraken's habitat. One all-black page with white text and no illustrations except for an image of Coral conveys the girl's loneliness and fear. The cartoonlike characters are drawn in a range of skin tones; Coral has slightly orange skin, wide, red-rimmed glasses, and curly pink hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Concise and effective storytelling brings the invisible to light. (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 1-An "it's OK to be different" picture book. A young pink-haired, glasses-wearing protagonist named Coral is going on a field trip to the aquarium with her school. She finds herself overwhelmed by all the noises from her classmates and the large creatures that fill up the tanks. She finds peace in the bioluminescent hall, where she finds a kraken that only appeared after the rest of the class leaves the hall. Coral and the kraken bond and when her classmates find her, she shows them the hidden beauty of the bioluminescent hall. While Coral is appealing, the font style and color choices are distracting and may make it difficult for young readers to follow. The story itself can feel disjointed, although the ongoing commentary of Coral's classmates provides humor. VERDICT Despite strong messaging, this is an additional purchase.-Maria Graybosch

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