Peanut Butter and Jellyfish - Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish is an adorable picture book that, on the surface is fun and colourful, but also contains a deeper message about the embodiment of self-loathing and some of the motivation behind bullying.

 Peanut Butter is a cute little seahorse and Jellyfish is, well, a jellyfish, and the two are best friends. They swim together all day, enjoying the sights and treasures of the ocean. Unfortunately, though, their adventures are often interrupted by the Crabby, who is, you guessed it, a crab! His insults and relentless heckling keep invading their magical explorations of the ocean floor. But when Crabby ends up in danger one day, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish have to decide if they should help the bully or not, and their decision reveals a lot about all three of them.

 The illustrations are bright and full of texture, which will draw in those visually stimulated young people, and the story itself will also make for a great read-aloud. The expressions of each of the illustrated characters will evoke a lot of emotion from children and adult readers alike. I can't wait to send a copy to my nieces and nephew.

 Highly Recommended

 (Note: This review is from an Advanced Review Galley - Out April 8, 2014)

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