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Randall and Randall
by
Randall, the pistol shrimp, is a master at excavation. Randall, the goby fish, is his skittish, yet happy-go-lucky watchman. The problem is that both have quirks that drive each other bananas until one day their relationship is driven to the breaking point. This very funny informational-fiction story about one of the sea’s naturally-existent odd couples illustrates how cer
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Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
October 1st 2019
by Blue Whale Press
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Randall and Randall by Nadine Poper, illustrated by Polina Gortman, is a playful paperback book about the surprising friendship of a goby fish and a pistol shrimp, both named Randall. Polina Gortman impressively anthropomorphizes the two animal species in a way that looks natural and fun. This would be a great text for classroom studies on ocean life or symbiotic animal relationships.

It's interesting to learn how these two creatures depend on each other. Kids will love all the action - digging, snapping, singing. And Shark!
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Nov 27, 2019
Alayne Kay
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
randall-and-randall
I am the editor of this book, so I won't write a full review. I will leave that to other fans of Randall and Randall and Nadine Poper's books. But I will share why Blue Whale Press chose this book to publish. Parent's, librarian's, and teacher's dream. This book has it all. It is educational (learn about symbiotic relationships, sea creatures, embracing differences, and more), it is funny, it is sweet, it has just the right amount of tension (great arc), unusual characters, and the art is a feas
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Randall and Randall is a well-written children's story with delightful illustrations. Although it is a fictional story, there is plenty of backmatter for the budding ichthyologist.
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Nadine Poper has woven a captivating tale of two friends, a pistol shrimp and a gobi fish, both named Randall. The pure joy and the frustrations of their unlikely friendship reminds me of Lobel's characters, Frog and Toad. In the foreward and the back matter we learn that this heart-warming story is based on the unique symbiotic relationship of two actual marine creatures. Great read for kids liking funny, quirky characters and those youngsters curious about science.
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What an enjoyable book! This informational fiction book provides fun for the young reader while, at the same time, provides science information about ocean creatures, who certainly are an odd couple with their symbiotic relationship. Having been a classroom teacher, it is always a challenge to find engaging reading material that is also instructional. Dr. Randall’s forward and Ms. Poper’s Author’s notes provide the basis of a science discussion which will catch the interest of the children.
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Randall and Randall is a delightful story about a shrimp and a fish who help each other survive with their symbiotic relationship. The story has it all; science, Spanish, and a lesson on friendship. The story explains how the pistol shrimp works with the Gobi fish. The shrimp can dig a wonderful home for them while the fish has good vision and can see and feel predators coming to keep them safe.
I love how Nadine added some Spanish words. Children will not only learn about the symbiotic relation ...more
I love how Nadine added some Spanish words. Children will not only learn about the symbiotic relation ...more

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This charming picture book tells the story of two sea creatures, a pistol shrimp and a goby fish. The pair meet and learn about each other until annoying habits drive them apart. Paralleling their symbiotic relationship in nature, the creatures eventually discover they are safe and successful only when they work together.
On the surface, this is a story of unlikely friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. But ...more
This charming picture book tells the story of two sea creatures, a pistol shrimp and a goby fish. The pair meet and learn about each other until annoying habits drive them apart. Paralleling their symbiotic relationship in nature, the creatures eventually discover they are safe and successful only when they work together.
On the surface, this is a story of unlikely friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. But ...more

Randall and Randall is a great read, appealing to audiences on multiple levels. As an informational text, the book teaches readers about an interesting symbiotic relationship between a shrimp and a fish. Set in the ocean off of Mexico, the integration of some brief Spanish vocabulary also adds an opportunity for language enrichment. On a character level, the relationship between the shrimp and the fish is fun and authentic - illustrating how we can help each other, and also irritate each other.
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I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Randall and Randall is thoroughly delightful, from the fun illustrations to the humorous text. Readers will enjoy this story of an odd-couple friendship between Randall the goby fish and Randall the pistol shrimp. Along the way readers will encounter some cool biology, Spanish words in context, and a message of appreciating and embracing one another's differences. The foreword by Dr. John E. Randall and the author's note at the en ...more
Randall and Randall is thoroughly delightful, from the fun illustrations to the humorous text. Readers will enjoy this story of an odd-couple friendship between Randall the goby fish and Randall the pistol shrimp. Along the way readers will encounter some cool biology, Spanish words in context, and a message of appreciating and embracing one another's differences. The foreword by Dr. John E. Randall and the author's note at the en ...more

Fact-based imagining of the symbiotic relationship between a pistol shrimp and a goby fish. (The scientific names of each contain "Randall".) The story shows, in humorous text and pictures, how mutual benefits can overcome mutual annoyances. Set in the ocean near Mexico, it also includes a few Spanish words, but ignorance of those words does not interrupt the story. Both enjoyable and educational!
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Delightfully illustrated story of a goy shrimp and a pistol shrimp, both named Randall and their life underwater. We lear about each species and their habitat, and their friendship. Graphic novelesque spreads enliven the storytelling, and back matter offers more information about the Randalls and all they represent. A fun and suspenseful read.

Delightful story about a fish and a shrimp and their symbiotic relationship. Adorable and well written, this book about friendship and science will make the perfect read in classrooms, libraries and home shelves. Kids will love learning about the importance of teamwork. The illustrations make this story a fun read all the way through.

This books is so well done that adults and kids alike won't realize how much they're learning as they enjoy the fun story!
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