I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

by Kevin Sherry

Overview

Now everyone's favorite squid is just the right size for babies and toddlers

Kevin Sherry's unabashed squid may be the biggest thing in this catalog, but he's not too big for even the littlest kids to love. As the hubristic squid goes about bragging, babies and toddlers will get an eyeful of undersea life—from shrimp and jellyfish to turtles and more. With its snappy text and bright, bold artwork, this winning modern classic is guaranteed to have even the youngest of readers grabbing at pages and laughing along.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803731929
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/10/2007
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	440,658
Product dimensions:	11.37(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kevin Sherry is an artist, designer, and the cofounder of SquidFire, an online apparel company which features his unique wearable art. Kevin Sherry lives in Baltimore, Maryland, conveniently close to his deep sea friends.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Waves of exuberance flow out of this crowd-pleaser, in which a squid proudly points out how much bigger it is than any shrimp, clam, octopus or fish in the neighborhood."

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Sherry renders his hero and habitat in bright colors and bold, simple shapes that will be surefire eye magnets for preschoolers….”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Editorial Reviews

Sherry's illustrations are refreshingly uncluttered, with colorful shapes rendered in watercolor, cut paper and ink, making it easy for young children to follow the story. Clever composition amplifies the squid's size: he's too big to fit in his own book. He even dwarfs a gatefold spread, which extends to reveal a parade of fish that are all, of course, smaller than he is…Sherry's story is a simple, infectious delight, with wonderful comic timing and repetition that will encourage children to chant along.
—The New York Times

Jessica Bruder

Sherry, whose nature-themed, silk-screened apparel has won plaudits from Luckymagazine and other fashion arbiters, makes a winning book debut with this story of a squid with a fondness for braggadocio. "I'm a giant squid and I'm big," announces the cartoony blue hero, whose adorable googly eyes and pointy head defuse any taint of arrogance. In quick order and punchy sentences, the squid enumerates all the species he outranks in the ocean, size-wise (each statement and its accompanying illustration gets a spread): "I'm bigger than these clams./ I'm bigger than this crab." So outsize is this squid's ego that when the food chain kicks in, and he suddenly finds himself inside the belly of a whale (along with numerous other aquatic creatures), he's only temporarily nonplussed (indicated by several wordless spreads). "I'm the biggest thing in this whale!" he proudly declares at the end. Working in collage and watercolor, Sherry renders his hero and habitat in bright colors and bold, simple shapes that will be surefire eye magnets for preschoolers (and stickers featuring the characters enhance bathtub fun). The squid's unwavering sense of confidence should strike a loud and strong chord with youngsters who believe they're the center of the universe. Ages 3-up. (May)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

PreS - A lighthearted, clever story presented in an oversize, colorful package. A bright blue giant squid cruises through the ocean, proudly noting that he is bigger than all the creatures he encounters. From shrimp to shark, he repeats his refrain, "I'm bigger than . . . ," sounding remarkably similar to a three-year-old cheerfully cataloging his world. Briefly dismayed when swallowed by a voracious whale (who has also swallowed up everyone else whole including the shark), the squid rallies by noting, "I'm the biggest thing in this whale!" This buoyant tale, filled with nonthreatening cartoonish denizens of the deep blue (and turquoise and green) sea, makes no effort to be realistic or educational but just simple fun, which is its charm. (Note the squid on the back cover proudly stating that he is bigger than the bar code.) Bathtub stickers of all the creatures in the story with a warning label about choking hazards for the under-three set are included-a curious marketing decision since that seems the age of at least half the intended readership.-Susan Moorhead, New Rochelle Public Library, NY

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

Waves of exuberance flow out of this crowd-pleaser, in which a squid proudly points out how much bigger it is than any shrimp, clam, octopus or fish in the neighborhood. Each emphatic, one-line declaration captions a very simple marine scene, fashioned from watercolor and paper collage on Plexiglass (which is "pried from the windows of shipwrecked pirate ships," to quote the artist's note) and dominated by the smiling, pop-eyed, blue-skinned squid-most of whose body is well beyond the edges of the spread. The arrival of a monstrous whale does spark a sudden sea-change in scale, but even being gobbled down dims the squid's self regard only momentarily; after a quick look around, it concludes: "I'm the biggest thing in this whale!" A gatefold and a page of stickers further enhance this whale of a debut. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

"Waves of exuberance flow out of this crowd-pleaser, in which a squid proudly points out how much bigger it is than any shrimp, clam, octopus or fish in the neighborhood."

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Sherry renders his hero and habitat in bright colors and bold, simple shapes that will be surefire eye magnets for preschoolers….”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher