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The Kraken's Rules for Making Friends
The Kraken is lonely. How does he find an everlasting friendship from the sea up above? Kraken finds an unlikely mentorhsip from the Great White Shark. It turns out the creatures that we often push aside might have the best advice for harbouring friendship. What will this unlikely pair teach us? More than the sea can fathom.
It's no big surprise that the Kraken has no friends, but he is TIRED OF IT. With a bad temper and a knack for destruction, his talent for meeting new fish is...not so seaworthy. He finds hope when another monster of the deep, a great white shark, offers him some RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS. Will these rules help the most terrifying monster of the deep make a new chum?
It's no big surprise that the Kraken has no friends, but he is TIRED OF IT. With a bad temper and a knack for destruction, his talent for meeting new fish is...not so seaworthy. He finds hope when another monster of the deep, a great white shark, offers him some RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS. Will these rules help the most terrifying monster of the deep make a new chum?
40 pages, Hardcover
Published November 7, 2023
1 person is currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Brittany R. Jacobs
6 books11 followersWhat started out as a childhood passion for reading, has developed into my storytelling and illustrations. I’m a self-taught artist, with a background in children’s programming. I was bit by the travel bug as an 8 year-old while visiting my Peace Corps aunt in Antigua, and have been globetrotting ever since. I am influenced by the people that I meet, and the lands that I explore.
In addition to writing and illustrating books, I also write and implement educational curriculum for informal education settings (i.e. museums, libraries, zoos, etc.). If I’m not teaching a group of kids, or making books, you can find me out on the trails with my two pups, Brix and Ollie.
In addition to writing and illustrating books, I also write and implement educational curriculum for informal education settings (i.e. museums, libraries, zoos, etc.). If I’m not teaching a group of kids, or making books, you can find me out on the trails with my two pups, Brix and Ollie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 5, 2023
“‘Rule number six for making friends: Be Yourself.’
‘But I’m the Kraken.’
‘And I’m a Great White Shark…Some things cannot be helped, so you have got to make the best of what you’ve got. Go get ‘em!’
With that, the Kraken floated over to the group [of sea creatures] and…They all screamed and swam away…”
- Brittany R. Jacobs, The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends
When I first became a parent – well over a decade ago, now – one of the things that worried me was not having enough time to read. Looking back after four kids, I am – of course – shocked at the way I prioritized the potential pitfalls of child-rearing. There are many more serious things to be concerned about. My ability to watch sprawling television shows, for instance, has almost disappeared entirely.
Also, as it turns out, I’ve never read more.
It is, in fact, just about the only thing I still get to do. The iPads have been commandeered. The television has nothing but bad words and zombies. My video games are definitely not child-friendly. Reading is all I got. It’s the one activity that I want my kids to see me do. When they grow up, I don’t want them to fondly recall me playing Elder Scrolls V while drinking Yellow Tail chardonnay out of the bottle.
I want them to say: Dad loved to read.
***
Brittany Jacobs’s The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends is a book we received as a gift. In a sudden burst of inspiration, I thought: I should do a joint book review with my kids. At the time, I had three girls, Millie, Grace, and infant Phoebe (joined years later by Georgie). The night we received it, I read it to Gracie and Millie in their bedroom, in that magical hour between brushing their teeth and listening to their endless excuses about why they aren’t in bed. (That night, Millie claimed that Grace’s blanket looks like a monster, which is pretty good as excuses go).
Afterwards, I probed their minds about their experience.
***
The participants in this experiment were Millie (almost five, at the time) and Gracie (two-and-a-half). The transcript is below.
It has been edited for length and clarity. Heavily edited for clarity, I might add. Very, very heavily edited. You might even say that I imposed clarity upon this whole exercise (and excised the part where they ignored me while singing a song about poopy diapers).
***
Meet my guest reviewers. Millie (L) and Gracie (R)
***
[I bring a yellow legal pad and pen into the room, sit down on the bed, and bid my children to come hither]
MILLIE: What’s that?
ME: A legal pad.
MILLIE: What’s that?
[A five-minute discussion ensues about the nature of legal pads. I cannot explain why they are yellow so I make something up about banana peels. Finally, I am forced to turn to the internet. Turns out, the color – allegedly – is to make the handwritten notes in a file contrast with other documents. Too late, I sense it was a mistake to answer the legal pad question]
ME: I want to do a book review with you guys about the Kraken book.
MILLIE: What’s a book review?
ME: I want to know what you thought about the book. What you liked and didn't like.
MILLIE: Can I help?
ME: Yes, by answering questions.
MILLIE: Can I help by writing?
ME: Writing what?
MILLIE: My name. On your pad.
[This derails things for several minutes. Grace has wandered away during this time period and has to be re-summoned. Once we are settled, I begin]
ME: Did you like the book?
MILLIE: Yes.
GRACIE. Yes, me too.
ME: How many stars would you give it?
MILLIE: Stars?
GRACIE: Stars!
ME: Yes. We give something we really like five stars. If you didn't like it, we’d give it one star. So, how many stars would you give this book.
MILLIE: One star! [Holds up one finger]
GRACIE: One star! [Holds up three fingers]
[I spend another five minutes – or was it an eternity? – explaining the use of the star-rating system. I begin to doubt the wisdom of this idea. However, I don’t want to teach my kids to quit, even when the thing you are trying to do is literally impossible]
ME: Okay, how many stars would you give The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends?
MILLIE: Five!
ME: Grace?
GRACIE: [With hand shoved into mouth] I don’t understand.
[We move on]
ME: What is your favorite part of the book.
MILLIE: I like the smiling shark and when they were hugging ‘cuz that squid made a new friend.
GRACIE: The shark smiling and the shark hugging.
MILLIE: She likes what I like.
[This is true. So far we have raised one cult leader and one cult follower]
ME: Did you think this was a funny book?
MILLIE: Not really – no one said anything funny.
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: You thought it was funny, Grace?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Why?
GRACIE: The shark was smiling. [This refers to one of the drawings]
MILLIE: I think it was funny too.
ME: Did you think the book was scary?
MILLIE: Yes.
ME: What part?
MILLIE: When you yelled.
[I do accents. I do voices. And when there is an exclamation point, I sometimes yell]
ME: Other than that, were there any scary parts?
MILLIE: My answer would be…no.
GRACIE: Yes…the sharks.
MILLIE: I didn't even think about that.
ME: Did you think the sharks were scary?
MILLIE: No, but I do love things that are scary.
GRACIE: I have something in my teeth. [She opens her mouth to reveal a bit of white fuzz stuck between her two front teeth]
ME: Have you been chewing on Phoebe’s stuffed bear?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: This is why mommy doesn't want you playing with Phoebe's toys.
GRACIE: Yeah.
[I sometimes think back to this moment about the sharks, because my three girls are now Jaws superfans. Every summer, we watch Jaws on the Fourth of July, and then watch the increasingly awful sequels afterwards, finishing Jaws: The Revenge near Christmas]
ME: Would you read this again?
MILLIE: Yes, because I like it.
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Can you describe what this book is about?
MILLIE: I would say “I liked it.”
ME: Yes, but what would you say it’s about?
MILLIE: Ahh, it’s about a fish in the ocean and making new friends.
ME: Is that an important lesson?
MILLIE: Yes, it’s important to make friends.
GRACIE: I have a friend named Elena as school.
ME: Would she like this book?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Why?
GRACIE: Because she’s at my school!
[The interview ended. I put them to bed. They screamed for mom. I went downstairs to fire up the PlayStation to play some video games]
***
For my part, I liked The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends. It’s a quick read, without a ton of dialogue. This is good for my voice, and also everyone’s patience. The pictures are incredible. Beautiful drawings and beautiful colors. The girls really enjoyed the art while we were reading. Millie, especially, remarked upon the vividness of the pictures (and the adorableness of the sea creatures). The narrative coheres around a solid lesson, and the ending (which includes the hug, mentioned above) is quite cute.
As Millie observed, shortly before screaming at Grace for interrupting, You should be nice and smile!
***
A years’ later addendum: Despite it being an exercise in circular reasoning, joint book reviews are definitely something I wish I had done more often. Millie and Gracie are now fully embracing pre-teenage angst, eyerolls, and Taylor Swift worship. Infant Phoebe is now a feral grade-schooler.
Time just gets away.
But we’ll always have that moment with The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends, during which time Millie wrote her name all over my legal pad, and Gracie ate most of a stuffed bear.
‘But I’m the Kraken.’
‘And I’m a Great White Shark…Some things cannot be helped, so you have got to make the best of what you’ve got. Go get ‘em!’
With that, the Kraken floated over to the group [of sea creatures] and…They all screamed and swam away…”
- Brittany R. Jacobs, The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends
When I first became a parent – well over a decade ago, now – one of the things that worried me was not having enough time to read. Looking back after four kids, I am – of course – shocked at the way I prioritized the potential pitfalls of child-rearing. There are many more serious things to be concerned about. My ability to watch sprawling television shows, for instance, has almost disappeared entirely.
Also, as it turns out, I’ve never read more.
It is, in fact, just about the only thing I still get to do. The iPads have been commandeered. The television has nothing but bad words and zombies. My video games are definitely not child-friendly. Reading is all I got. It’s the one activity that I want my kids to see me do. When they grow up, I don’t want them to fondly recall me playing Elder Scrolls V while drinking Yellow Tail chardonnay out of the bottle.
I want them to say: Dad loved to read.
***
Brittany Jacobs’s The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends is a book we received as a gift. In a sudden burst of inspiration, I thought: I should do a joint book review with my kids. At the time, I had three girls, Millie, Grace, and infant Phoebe (joined years later by Georgie). The night we received it, I read it to Gracie and Millie in their bedroom, in that magical hour between brushing their teeth and listening to their endless excuses about why they aren’t in bed. (That night, Millie claimed that Grace’s blanket looks like a monster, which is pretty good as excuses go).
Afterwards, I probed their minds about their experience.
***
The participants in this experiment were Millie (almost five, at the time) and Gracie (two-and-a-half). The transcript is below.
It has been edited for length and clarity. Heavily edited for clarity, I might add. Very, very heavily edited. You might even say that I imposed clarity upon this whole exercise (and excised the part where they ignored me while singing a song about poopy diapers).
***
Meet my guest reviewers. Millie (L) and Gracie (R)
***
[I bring a yellow legal pad and pen into the room, sit down on the bed, and bid my children to come hither]
MILLIE: What’s that?
ME: A legal pad.
MILLIE: What’s that?
[A five-minute discussion ensues about the nature of legal pads. I cannot explain why they are yellow so I make something up about banana peels. Finally, I am forced to turn to the internet. Turns out, the color – allegedly – is to make the handwritten notes in a file contrast with other documents. Too late, I sense it was a mistake to answer the legal pad question]
ME: I want to do a book review with you guys about the Kraken book.
MILLIE: What’s a book review?
ME: I want to know what you thought about the book. What you liked and didn't like.
MILLIE: Can I help?
ME: Yes, by answering questions.
MILLIE: Can I help by writing?
ME: Writing what?
MILLIE: My name. On your pad.
[This derails things for several minutes. Grace has wandered away during this time period and has to be re-summoned. Once we are settled, I begin]
ME: Did you like the book?
MILLIE: Yes.
GRACIE. Yes, me too.
ME: How many stars would you give it?
MILLIE: Stars?
GRACIE: Stars!
ME: Yes. We give something we really like five stars. If you didn't like it, we’d give it one star. So, how many stars would you give this book.
MILLIE: One star! [Holds up one finger]
GRACIE: One star! [Holds up three fingers]
[I spend another five minutes – or was it an eternity? – explaining the use of the star-rating system. I begin to doubt the wisdom of this idea. However, I don’t want to teach my kids to quit, even when the thing you are trying to do is literally impossible]
ME: Okay, how many stars would you give The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends?
MILLIE: Five!
ME: Grace?
GRACIE: [With hand shoved into mouth] I don’t understand.
[We move on]
ME: What is your favorite part of the book.
MILLIE: I like the smiling shark and when they were hugging ‘cuz that squid made a new friend.
GRACIE: The shark smiling and the shark hugging.
MILLIE: She likes what I like.
[This is true. So far we have raised one cult leader and one cult follower]
ME: Did you think this was a funny book?
MILLIE: Not really – no one said anything funny.
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: You thought it was funny, Grace?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Why?
GRACIE: The shark was smiling. [This refers to one of the drawings]
MILLIE: I think it was funny too.
ME: Did you think the book was scary?
MILLIE: Yes.
ME: What part?
MILLIE: When you yelled.
[I do accents. I do voices. And when there is an exclamation point, I sometimes yell]
ME: Other than that, were there any scary parts?
MILLIE: My answer would be…no.
GRACIE: Yes…the sharks.
MILLIE: I didn't even think about that.
ME: Did you think the sharks were scary?
MILLIE: No, but I do love things that are scary.
GRACIE: I have something in my teeth. [She opens her mouth to reveal a bit of white fuzz stuck between her two front teeth]
ME: Have you been chewing on Phoebe’s stuffed bear?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: This is why mommy doesn't want you playing with Phoebe's toys.
GRACIE: Yeah.
[I sometimes think back to this moment about the sharks, because my three girls are now Jaws superfans. Every summer, we watch Jaws on the Fourth of July, and then watch the increasingly awful sequels afterwards, finishing Jaws: The Revenge near Christmas]
ME: Would you read this again?
MILLIE: Yes, because I like it.
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Can you describe what this book is about?
MILLIE: I would say “I liked it.”
ME: Yes, but what would you say it’s about?
MILLIE: Ahh, it’s about a fish in the ocean and making new friends.
ME: Is that an important lesson?
MILLIE: Yes, it’s important to make friends.
GRACIE: I have a friend named Elena as school.
ME: Would she like this book?
GRACIE: Yeah.
ME: Why?
GRACIE: Because she’s at my school!
[The interview ended. I put them to bed. They screamed for mom. I went downstairs to fire up the PlayStation to play some video games]
***
For my part, I liked The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends. It’s a quick read, without a ton of dialogue. This is good for my voice, and also everyone’s patience. The pictures are incredible. Beautiful drawings and beautiful colors. The girls really enjoyed the art while we were reading. Millie, especially, remarked upon the vividness of the pictures (and the adorableness of the sea creatures). The narrative coheres around a solid lesson, and the ending (which includes the hug, mentioned above) is quite cute.
As Millie observed, shortly before screaming at Grace for interrupting, You should be nice and smile!
***
A years’ later addendum: Despite it being an exercise in circular reasoning, joint book reviews are definitely something I wish I had done more often. Millie and Gracie are now fully embracing pre-teenage angst, eyerolls, and Taylor Swift worship. Infant Phoebe is now a feral grade-schooler.
Time just gets away.
But we’ll always have that moment with The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends, during which time Millie wrote her name all over my legal pad, and Gracie ate most of a stuffed bear.
forthcoming
March 15, 2016Sometimes I wish I could time travel back to my childhood and give myself books. B/c KRAKEN.
November 2, 2023
This is one of the cutest books I've come across in a long long time. A tiny book with a tiny amount of words but the message is massive.
I just loved the end. Made me smile, literally.
Book #48 of 2023.
I just loved the end. Made me smile, literally.
Book #48 of 2023.
November 25, 2016
Kids will definitely relate to the Kraken's predicament and be satisfied by the realistic ending. This would pair nicely with Nugget & Fang.
June 18, 2017
The Kraken's Rules for Making Friends - Brittany R. Jacobs
Almost as earnest as The Rainbow Fish, but with a marginally better message than "You can buy friends of you're willing to give up everything that makes you special." Saved by a slightly -divergent-from-cliche ending.
I wish the text was as unconventional and captivating as the art.
Library copy.
Almost as earnest as The Rainbow Fish, but with a marginally better message than "You can buy friends of you're willing to give up everything that makes you special." Saved by a slightly -divergent-from-cliche ending.
I wish the text was as unconventional and captivating as the art.
Library copy.
January 18, 2019
Cute and sweet. The art is adorable, and the ending got a big out loud "aw" from me.
April 4, 2019
A very cute and funny book about how to make friends. The pictures are a little small but it would make a great storytime book for a smaller group.
September 12, 2021
This is super cute. I’m glad that the great white shark is so nice.
October 21, 2016
Poor Kraken is sad and lonely... he desperately wants a friend. How can that happen when all the other fish in his underwater world are scared to death of him. He tries to be friendly but as soon as he gets close to the other fish they scream and swim away for their very lives.
Then the lightbulb illuminates and Kraken gets a brilliant idea. He decides to be somebody else other than the loser he thinks he is. He quickly knits himself a koi costume. There, that should fool the other fish. They all seem to like the koi clan. Maybe if he can pretend to be a Koi clone the other fish just might like to get to know him now. Will his plan work? He gives it a try...
The Manta Ray is on to him right away but it's the Tuna that blows his idea right out of the water!
"Something smells fishy... He's a Kraken!!! and they all flee for their lives!"
Oh my... marooned Kraken is totally heartbroken and despondent - he's a failure indeed- his plan fails.
He so wants a friend that he can hang out with. He tunes into the fact that even the scary Great White Shark is popular. If Shark has friends then why can't he? He finally gains enough confidence to go and ask for the Great White's opinion on the matter. He needs advice as to how he can start fishing for some new friends and reel them in.
"Excuse me, Shark," said the Kraken. "How do you get all those fish to like you? I mean, you're a shark!" "How does a Kraken make friends? I'm tired of being all alone."
The Shark is happy to provide the Kraken with some RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS. Talk is cheap we all know so Kraken has to implement these rules, puts them the test, and see if they will they deliver a huge catch for him? Do you think they will work for him?
This fun book is full of wisdom and good old fashion etiquette. These rules when put into action will net you a huge haul.
Then the lightbulb illuminates and Kraken gets a brilliant idea. He decides to be somebody else other than the loser he thinks he is. He quickly knits himself a koi costume. There, that should fool the other fish. They all seem to like the koi clan. Maybe if he can pretend to be a Koi clone the other fish just might like to get to know him now. Will his plan work? He gives it a try...
The Manta Ray is on to him right away but it's the Tuna that blows his idea right out of the water!
"Something smells fishy... He's a Kraken!!! and they all flee for their lives!"
Oh my... marooned Kraken is totally heartbroken and despondent - he's a failure indeed- his plan fails.
He so wants a friend that he can hang out with. He tunes into the fact that even the scary Great White Shark is popular. If Shark has friends then why can't he? He finally gains enough confidence to go and ask for the Great White's opinion on the matter. He needs advice as to how he can start fishing for some new friends and reel them in.
"Excuse me, Shark," said the Kraken. "How do you get all those fish to like you? I mean, you're a shark!" "How does a Kraken make friends? I'm tired of being all alone."
The Shark is happy to provide the Kraken with some RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS. Talk is cheap we all know so Kraken has to implement these rules, puts them the test, and see if they will they deliver a huge catch for him? Do you think they will work for him?
This fun book is full of wisdom and good old fashion etiquette. These rules when put into action will net you a huge haul.
October 2, 2017
Two things really irritate me when it comes to picture books.
1. Inaccurate information about real people, wildlife, and life in general.
2. Lack of a story.
This book, sadly, offended on both accounts. It really lacks story. The Kraken -- a cute little octopus -- has a hard time making friends. Everyone under the sea is afraid of him. But the Shark doesn't have that issue, so the Kraken goes to him for advice. This could be a cute story, but it actually is pretty much yet ANOTHER children's book with "life skills" taught in a step-by-step format, with no story development.
Also...octopuses don't have tentacles. I was confused about that until I was 21 years old...can we please stop misinforming kids about this.
Rant over. The art was lovely, so I'm giving The Kraken's Rules for Making Friends 3 stars.
1. Inaccurate information about real people, wildlife, and life in general.
2. Lack of a story.
This book, sadly, offended on both accounts. It really lacks story. The Kraken -- a cute little octopus -- has a hard time making friends. Everyone under the sea is afraid of him. But the Shark doesn't have that issue, so the Kraken goes to him for advice. This could be a cute story, but it actually is pretty much yet ANOTHER children's book with "life skills" taught in a step-by-step format, with no story development.
Also...octopuses don't have tentacles. I was confused about that until I was 21 years old...can we please stop misinforming kids about this.
Rant over. The art was lovely, so I'm giving The Kraken's Rules for Making Friends 3 stars.
December 14, 2016
This is such a great picture book!
August 6, 2019
"Where did everyone go?
Why don't they like me?
Maybe I should try to be someone else."
- Kraken
This line right here made me want to give the Kraken a hug.
No one should have to change themselves to please the eyes of others, even if your a little different. An I'm glad that book showed this with the White Shark's rules he gave the Kraken.
It might be hard at first to make friends if your not like everyone else but you have to keep trying. An in the end you'll at least get a smile, a hug, & a friend.
"Rule #6: Be YOURSELF."
- White Shark telling Kraken the last rule.
(Reading Date & Time: 6th August 2019; 12:36am to 12:43am)
Why don't they like me?
Maybe I should try to be someone else."
- Kraken
This line right here made me want to give the Kraken a hug.
No one should have to change themselves to please the eyes of others, even if your a little different. An I'm glad that book showed this with the White Shark's rules he gave the Kraken.
It might be hard at first to make friends if your not like everyone else but you have to keep trying. An in the end you'll at least get a smile, a hug, & a friend.
"Rule #6: Be YOURSELF."
- White Shark telling Kraken the last rule.
(Reading Date & Time: 6th August 2019; 12:36am to 12:43am)
June 12, 2017
The Kraken is fed up with all the other fish in the sea running away from him every time he sees them. He just wants some friends! He enlists the help of another "monster of the deep" the Great White Shark to show him the ropes of making friends.
I love a good "Release the Kraken" joke as much as the next guy, so I snatched this up when I saw it at my local public library. Brittany Jacobs has created a wonderful kid-like character (who I hope will appear in more books!). The Kraken just wants some friends and when his ploys and schemes don't work, he throws a pirate ship destroying tantrum. The Kraken has a wonderful voice (I can hear hints of Pigeon in it myself) and it's always good to have more books about being a good friend. I would love to use this in storytime.
I love a good "Release the Kraken" joke as much as the next guy, so I snatched this up when I saw it at my local public library. Brittany Jacobs has created a wonderful kid-like character (who I hope will appear in more books!). The Kraken just wants some friends and when his ploys and schemes don't work, he throws a pirate ship destroying tantrum. The Kraken has a wonderful voice (I can hear hints of Pigeon in it myself) and it's always good to have more books about being a good friend. I would love to use this in storytime.
January 7, 2022
I have always been fascinated by the creatures that live at the bottom of the sea. This group surely includes some of the most terrifying fish - like the anglerfish and the goblin shark. And then there's the kraken. A legendary, gigantic sea monster that sort of resembles a squid. Pretty scary. Which means - not a lot of friends in the ocean depths. What's a Kraken to do? Even the Great White Shark has friends. First, he tries to disguise himself. Pretending to be something you aren't usually doesn't work out very well. So next he asks for advice from the Great White - who happily provides him with a list of rules for making friends! Does it work? You'll have to read it to find out!
Pair this one with Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin.
Pair this one with Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin.
January 17, 2022
KRAKEN is the most feared creature under the sea. This giant sea monster is all alone. Everyone always swims away from them. Kraken is determined to make some friends. They ask the feared Great White Shark for help and the Shark offers up some rules.
Can the guidance of the Shark help the Kraken?
Brittany R. Jacobs does a great job of illustrating and writing this simple story of acceptance and friendship. The striking red of the Kraken amidst the blue/gray of the other creatures makes them stand out more. Each of the Kraken's emotions (determination, sadness, anger, and even attempting to try) are so "Aww" worthy, you'll want the Kraken to be your friend too. Jacobs also does a great job of labeling the many cool animals that live beneath the surface too.
A great read aloud!
Can the guidance of the Shark help the Kraken?
Brittany R. Jacobs does a great job of illustrating and writing this simple story of acceptance and friendship. The striking red of the Kraken amidst the blue/gray of the other creatures makes them stand out more. Each of the Kraken's emotions (determination, sadness, anger, and even attempting to try) are so "Aww" worthy, you'll want the Kraken to be your friend too. Jacobs also does a great job of labeling the many cool animals that live beneath the surface too.
A great read aloud!
July 26, 2017
Spoiler (but not really): The Kraken can knit! He may have a hard time making friends but he has talent when it comes to knitting!
Kraken is tired of having no friends and always being feared. Can he find a way to make friends? Maybe, if he follows the simple rules that shark has laid out for him. A really cute story with some fun illustrations makes it hard not to like this book!
Kraken is tired of having no friends and always being feared. Can he find a way to make friends? Maybe, if he follows the simple rules that shark has laid out for him. A really cute story with some fun illustrations makes it hard not to like this book!
July 24, 2018
LOVED this one so much! How does a notoriously dangerous sea creature make friends? With some help from another fearsome monster of the deep! This was hilarious and I recommend it whether you have littles to entertain at bedtime, or if you just like good, silly stories.
Alex even got into it, which at this age is a huge plus.
Alex even got into it, which at this age is a huge plus.
June 11, 2019
While I like the idea of using the Kraken for a children's book character, I thought the moral of the story was somewhat lame and it didn't end very happy for the poor Kraken. Book didn't help to ease the fear of imaginary deep sea monsters. Illustrations were cute nonetheless.
February 12, 2022
This book is so unique, and it fits the SRP theme "Ocean of Possibilities." I love how Kraken tries to make himself into something else but learns that being himself is all that matters. I'm thinking it could be a fun storywalk!
February 20, 2017
meh, not the best squid book. not all that funny, anticlimatic
March 19, 2017
It is actually the shark telling the kraken the rules for making friends, but whatever.
May 6, 2017
Very bright and colorful. Good rules if you are looking to help someone learn.
May 13, 2017
This is best for older children who can understand the humor of what the kraken's doing. I found it hilarious with great illustrations. This is going on my to-buy list.
June 11, 2017
This is my new book to design a storytime around! I was wonderful and who doesn't love a book in which a kraken hugs a shark!
August 2, 2017
Not quite what I was hoping. Cute, but eh.
August 4, 2017
This book is cute. As a message for kids, it's a little weird. The concept is adorable though and I love the Kraken.
December 20, 2017
A kraken tries to be friends with the other fish but can he do it. funny and cute. preschool and up for humor
January 25, 2018
well illustrated and nice story. the kids love the kraken!
July 18, 2018
hahahahahahaha!
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