How to use this Page

*Picture book for preschooler through second graders (fantasy–talking animals
*Young jellyfish as main character
*Rating: Super cute illustrations make this sweet picture book appeal to kids. Even better, if your children/students love this book or sea creatures, Kristen and Kevin Collier have a website where you can meet each character closer and download FREE activity and coloring pictures with Joy and her friends. A DVD is coming soon, too, according to the website. Check it out here:

Short, short summary: Joy the Jellyfish is swimming around the Great Barrier Reef. All she wants is a friend. But since she is nearly invisible, the other creatures have a hard time seeing her. Joy doesn’t understand what she is doing wrong. She finally gets some advice from a little white whale–”You have to be a friend to make a friend.” Joy and Bella become friends, but they can’t live in the same place due to that darn water temperature. However, Bella gives Joy the confidence she needs to learn to make new friends! This is the perfect book for our little guys who are shy and want to make friends. It’s always easier to see these cute creatures struggle and overcome their fears than humans doing it.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is a great introduction to different sea creatures. You could even do a KWL chart with students before reading it about animals they know live in the sea, animals they wonder about, and then animals they learn about. You could also find real photos of these animals to compare to the illustrations.

2. What is a friend? How do you make friends? How does Joy finally make friends? These questions and more can be discussed after reading the book. However, you should realize EVERY child will want to share a story about their best friend. So, have plenty of time for this discussion!

3. This is also a great book to talk about problem and solution because it is very apparent what the problem in the story is: Joy wants a friend but doesn’t know how to make friends. Solution: she learns she has to step outside her comfort zone/shyness. There aren’t a lot of subplots or anything in the way of these important story elements.

*Picture book, fantasy (talking animals), for preschoolers through second graders
*Young shark as main character
*Rating: Gilbert the Hero teaches kids a lesson in a subtle way and in the spirit of Finding Nemo. Shark lovers will REALLY enjoy this book!

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is the perfect book to use with children who have younger siblings and are always complaining about them–tagging along or getting into their stuff. That’s how Gilbert and his friend feel, but when push comes to shove, Gilbert really does love his brother and wants to protect him. You can use Gilbert the Hero at home or school to start a discussion about siblings. Children may relate to either Gilbert or Finn, depending on their situation.

2. Let children discuss if they have ever felt the way Finn did while doing some of the activities with Gilbert. He was scared and he didn’t like it! What did the children do? Did they cry? Did they ask to stop? (If they are having trouble thinking of something, ask if any of them have ever been to an amusement park. Did they ride a ride they didn’t like?) Talk to students about what it’s like to be scared and how to speak up when they don’t feel comfortable. Let them write or draw about the discussion when it’s over.

3. This is a fun book to do during an ocean unit in the classroom. What do students know about Great White Sharks or Killer Whales? Did the author use any of these characteristics in the story? Ask students to find out one more fact–in a book or on the Internet–about one of these animals that they didn’t know before and share it with the class.