July 23, 2022
I thought it would be best to kick off summer with a lush and magical ocean book and as usual, I am right.
"Oona and the Shark" is the second Oona book about a charming inventor mermaid with a huge afro, fishy tail and best pal, Otto the Otter. Oona wants to be friends with Stanley the Shark, but Stanley stays as far away from her as possible. Oona has tried it all! Stanley doesn't even like her inventions! Oona knows a whole lot of things that Stanley doesn't like, but nothing he does like. You'd think she'd let it go, but Oona keeps inventing because she believes that Stanley will love her and her inventions one day.
Bits and Pieces: This book had all the best colors. Deep blues, purples and greens. Very lush and oceany. Filtered sunlight, baby turtles, grumpy sharks, there wasn't one layout I didn't love. I kept waiting for Oona to chill out and let Stanley go, but she would not. Is there a lesson there? I'm not sure. If someone was literally trying to force friendship on me I think I would also pull a Stanley and find a new neighborhood. But then it all ended happily so if I do decide there is a lesson, it means I'm going to make more people be my friends whether they want to or not.
Favorite Part: Oona knows that she is magical no matter what anyone else thinks. As a fellow stubborn (and magical) lady, I liked that her confidence in her fabulousness never faltered.
Not Sure About: Otto was a great friend throughout, I just wish he'd gotten more credit for his friendship contributions.
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