Nellie the Narwhal


Children - Animals
28 Pages
Reviewed on 05/31/2020
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

Nellie The Narwhal is an entertaining and educational book that children and parents will want to read. Authors Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis have written a wonderful rhyming story filled with adventure—underwater. Nellie the narwhal wants to make friends with several animals, but she’s too small or doesn’t have enough arms or she doesn’t have a shell to play hide and seek. Nellie is bored and wants to find someone to play with. I highly recommend this story as it introduces a variety of underwater animals.
Children may be able to relate to this story of trying to find a good, true friend. The very subtle social aspects of finding a friend and the courage to ask them to play will also be helpful in developing bright children with empathy. But, Nellie doesn’t quit; she thinks of ways that she can play with the other creatures, even if they have different features.

Such adorable characters will attract attention and draw children into Nellie the narwhal's story. The illustrations fill the page with color and help immerse the reader in this wonderful underwater adventure. Authors Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis have created a wonderful, feel-good story with a happy ending. Nellie has a problem, but she finds solutions so she can play with others even though they’re different. Teachers will love how this underwater adventure will encourage reading and introduce children to the many animals that live deep in the ocean. I think every home, school, and public library should have this book on the shelf to help make reading fun and to enable children to go on an underwater adventure without leaving home.

Jack Magnus

Nellie the Narwhal is a children’s animal adventure book written by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis with artwork by The Illustrators.com. One day, Nellie the Narwhal was feeling alone, and she wanted to play. She decided to see how her friends were doing and wondered if they wanted to play with her. She checked with her friends Harper the whale and Bill the octopus, then Tommy the turtle. Each of them turned Nellie down. They were doing things that they didn’t think Nellie could do. Nellie sadly went home, but then she had a great idea. Why not get her friends to do things they all could do? She went back to Harper and before you knew it, they were happily at play. The same thing happened with Bill and Tommy too. It just takes a bit of imagination to make things go right, and Nellie had it all figured out.

Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis’s Nellie the Narwhal will resonate with kids who’ve been turned down for games because of their height or age or abilities, and who have experienced the sadness Nellie feels at being rejected. This book shows kids how they can turn things around by thinking up games everyone can play instead, and it does so in an upbeat and fun way. Along the way, kids learn about the world under the waves; there’s even an ocean trivia quiz at the end of the book. The illustrations work perfectly with the storyline. I loved the details of each panel, which are brimming with undersea creatures and plant life, and especially appreciated the facial expressions given to Nellie and her friends. Nellie the Narwhal is fun to read and offers caregivers ample opportunity to discuss finding games all kids can play and fixing situations where kids missed out. It’s most highly recommended.

Shannon Winings

Interested in taking an adventure with the unicorn of the sea? Look no further. Nellie the Narwhal by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis is a fun children's book that takes kids on an underwater exploratory dive. In this book, poor Nellie is alone and wants to play. So, off she goes to find her friends and see what fun they can have. She goes to see Harper the whale, Bill the octopus, and Tommy the turtle but they are all busy with their own games. Unfortunately, they are also unwilling to let little Nellie join in their activities. Luckily, Nellie is smart and innovative. She has no trouble finding a solution. What will it be?

I could not get enough of Nellie the Narwhal by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching, not to mention cute-as-can-be! They are sure to catch any kid's attention. In addition, the story is engaging and makes the reader think. Young kids are certain to follow along and come up with their own solutions for Nellie's problems. That said, I think the best part was the questions at the end and the message the book shared. The questions get young readers thinking and interacting with the story and characters. The message shows that even though we may not look the same on the outside, we all have much in common. As this is Nellie's first appearance in the literary world, I can certainly say that I am looking forward to seeing more of her in the future.