Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea Review

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea

Writer & Artist: Ben Clanton
Genre: Children’s comic
Publisher: Tundra Books

A review by Amelia Wellman

Do you ever see something so absolutely adorable, so sweet and innocent, so cute that you pick it up for no other reason than that cuteness? That was completely the reason that I was drawn to Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea!

Narwhal is a happy-go-lucky narwhal. Jelly is a no-nonsense jellyfish. The two might not have a lot in common, but they do share a love for waffles! Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea takes the two friends on three adventures. They learn what good friends they are, they create their own pod with other friends, and they read the best book ever.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea is a kid’s comic with upbeat, positive characters and a simple, charming story. It shows friendship through inclusivity and diversity, the benefits of working together, and the power of imagination. The humour is sweet with playful words like ‘tentacular’ from the octopus and ‘podtastic’ from Narwhal. The author has even included pages of fun facts about narwhals and jellyfish to teach the little ones about amazing underwater life while they enjoy the silly stories.

The art is what’s really going to please. The art is doodle-like with very basic colours, never more than four on any given page. It has a cutesy pop art quality. Combined with the lettering, it made me think of sidewalk chalk drawings. The whole comic is simple but cheerful, expressive and without a doubt just so cute!

The Verdict
Buy It! The stories are sweet and funny and the art is adorable, but also expressive enough for the very young to follow along with the story without the words. Any young comic fan will be delighted to get their hands on Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! It’s podtastic!