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Reviewed by: Emily McFarlane, Elementary School Librarian Title: The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish: What Magic Lies Beneath? Author: Chloe Savage Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: PK-3 Genre/Type of Book: Picture Book/Science Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: None Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: JLG Subscription box If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: An adorable game of hide-and-seek between a scientist and her dream- the Giant Arctic Jellyfish!
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Review:
This book was so cute! From the illustrations to the concept, I really enjoyed reading it. The scientist, Dr. Morley, "absolutely loves jellyfish." She wants to find the giant Arctic jellyfish, which has never been seen before. She and her crew have been preparing to embark on a quest to find the jellyfish and are finally ready for their adventure. They search far and wide, high and low. They find all sorts of amazing animals and wonderful things, but will they ever find the giant Arctic jellyfish?
The illustrations in this book are so fun. Anytime the crew of the expedition are seen on-ship, it is in the style of a cross-section book with lots of different compartments. You can see what everyone is doing and try to find all of the silly details that have been included. The color palette is very focused on greys, whites, and blues, so each splash of red pops right off the page. The giant Arctic jellyfish is hiding somewhere on many pages, just out of sight of the scientists making it a game of hide-and-seek for the characters and readers alike. The kids could have a fun time pointing out the jellyfish to the reader while the scientist tries fruitlessly to spot it. You can also look to see what each character is doing on each page, spot arctic animals, and track climate changes/arctic phenomenon, etc. This book would be a good addition to an arctic or winter unit, as well as just being a fun read-aloud. The giant arctic jellyfish (also known as the Lion's Mane jellyfish,) is real so this book could be a connected text to a non-fiction study of arctic animals or arctic life. For activities, kids could decorate their own giant jellyfish, or you could have students design an arctic habitat for the jellyfish to live in. Students could also pack and prepare for an arctic expedition. What would you bring to search for the jellyfish?
Kids may pick this up just because the arctic jellyfish on the cover has such a cute expression, and the scientist's red coat pops in the icy arctic landscape.
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For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website