KRAKEN ME UP

An unusual pet wins over a crowd.

There’s a contest at the fair, and different children are bringing their pets in hopes of winning. The bespectacled White judge is excited about the “pretty pig” and “fine hen”—and then comes across a brown-skinned child in a yellow slicker, cheerfully holding onto a large green tentacle. “It is a… / KRAKEN!” the judge shrieks in horror as the kraken, an adorable, massive-headed green sea monster, looks abashed, enormous, emotive eyes communicating volumes. All the other children are equally afraid, so the kraken slinks off to sulk in a tiny pond. This early-reader graphic novel is well paced, going a bit into the backstory of the kraken and the child with energetic, brightly colored panels, short sentences, and simple vocabulary. The ultimate triumph—involving the kraken playing around with his own ink and the sudden regurgitation of pirates—is funny and well earned, mixing both familiar children’s insecurities with off-the-wall humor and twists. The illustrations of the kraken pretending to be a spaceship or Groucho Marx are especially delightful, though the few jokes rhyming with “kraken” are a bit eye roll–y. The kraken is appealing and charming, the child is brazen and recognizable, and the overall goofiness mixed with sincerity will win over many a reluctant reader.

A kraken good time.