Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin & Christopher Nielsen (Review)

Title: Jelly-Boy
Creators: Nicole Godwin , Christopher Nielsen
Type: Fiction
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Walker Books
Date published: August 6 2024

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Firefly Books Distribution in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when a jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag she mistakes for a jelly-boy?

Jelly-Boy is different. He is big and strong. And not as wobbly as the other Jelly-Boys. By the time Jelly-Girl discovers the dangerous truth about her new friend, it may already be too late.

This is an inventive approach to tackling a conservation issue that is plaguing our world: too much plastic in the ocean. Told in a kid-friendly and humorous way, this is a story with the potential to encourage dialogue around an important issue

⤖ My Review ⬻

I loved the idea of Jelly-Boy since I first spotted the cover! I’ve been on the lookout for books that talk about sustainability and zero waste in a way that is digestible for the youngest of readers, and Jelly-Boy definitely fits the bill. The way the danger of plastic in our oceans was communicated indirectly through the tale of a jellyfish falling for a plastic bag, confusing it for a fellow jellyfish, was both creative and thought-provoking.

Also, the way the starstruck jellyfish finds out how dangerous the target of their infatuation was mirrors how someone might learn about the dangers of plastic in our oceans for the first time (sans infatuation of course). The only thing that pulled me out of the story a bit was that the wording lacked a rhythm I had become used to in children’s books. But that’s a really small factor, and I really, really enjoyed the story and illustrations of Jelly-Boy quite a bit!