Anemone is not the enemy

In this informative picture book told entirely through dialogue, bright pink Anemone is lonely in a tide pool. At high tide, three multicolored fish enter, but they're suspicious of smiling Anemone ("Whatever you do, don't get too close"); at low tide, it is revealed why: when the fish crowd Anemone, a full-page spread shows the now frowning figure's inadvertent sting. Anemone feels discouraged by this common scenario: "I'm trying to make friends, not enemies./ So why do I always sting everyone?" But an encounter with Clownfish soon shows that there's a friend for everyone. Digital illustrations in a light-colored palette have a kid-friendly, hand-drawn look, and extra details will reward careful readers. A lack of upfront explanation about why Anemone stings may confuse some, and an ominous end for the three fishes strikes an odd note, but this picture book by author-illustrator McGregor will appeal to budding marine biologists. Ages 5--7. (June)

Even someone socially awkward can find a friend. A habit of stinging keeps lonely Anemone from making friends, but for a clownfish, Anemone is just the right companion. Illustrated by the narrative and summarized on the last page of this tale of anthropomorphized sea creatures are three facts about ocean life: Tides rise and fall; hermit crabs use other creatures' shells for protection, upgrading as they grow; and clownfish and sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship. (The last fact will be familiar to anyone who's seen Disney's Finding Nemo.) Anemone's social difficulties become evident when three small fish wash into its pool during high tide. They know to stay away from its offers of friendship, but the tide goes out, the pool shrinks, and they can't help but touch Anemone and be stung. "Why do I always sting everyone?" Anemone wonders. But it turns out that stinging can be helpful. When Clownfish is chased into Anemone's sheltering tentacles by a threatening octopus, it's the octopus that gets the sting. McGregor's illustrations have the appearance of having been done with oil pastels. Anemone is a bright pink. The small fish are striped with shades of turquoise and Day-Glo green. The octopus looms large and gray. Attentive readers will be intrigued by the side story of a hermit crab looking for a new home that is enacted along the sandy edges of the main narrative. Suggests a human lesson from a fish fact made familiar by a popular children's film. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.