The Jellyfish Jiggle
By Caryl Hart
Illustrated by Nicola Slater. Published by Orchard Books. £7.99 paperback.
Review by Nicky Mathewson
When we were at the beach today, a little crab came by.
“Come SCUTTLE with me,” said the crab. “Scuttling’s fun, let’s try!”
“Just stand out wide, then bend your knees, and SCUTTLE side to side…
…then snip and snap your crabby claws.”
“Ooh, scuttling’s great!” we cried.
Whirl and wiggle! Whirl and wiggle!
Let’s SCUTTLE and snap to the Jellyfish Jiggle!
This story is busy with activity and alive with sealife as we join a child at the beach who has tremendous fun with lots of different seaside creatures. Scuttling with a crab, diving with a penguin, swimming with a dolphin and rocking with a pelican. We also meet an octopus, jellyfish, angler fish and a blue whale.
This is a rhyming picture book with lots of opportunity to join in with movements. A repeated verse gives a wonderful flow to the story and the illustrations are delightful! Bold and colourful it will draw children in. The story builds in momentum and then gradually recedes into preparation for bedtime, ending with a very gentle goodnight.
I love this book and I only wish my children were toddlers again so I could read it to them. It will make storytime or bedtime enjoyable for children and their adults. Have fun!
