Gilly's monster trap

Wearing big orange flippers and a striped swimsuit, her brown hair spilling out of a flowered swim cap, water-loving Gilly, who reads as white, spends her days paddling with pet fish Finnegan in Lighthouse Bay, amid the snow-capped peaks that surround it. But something's afoot in this idyllic setting: a thief first steals from the local marketplace, where the community is portrayed with various skin tones, then swipes Gilly's flippers right off her feet. Fears of a sea monster force the closing of the girl's beloved beach, but Gilly stands pat: her dot eyes and expressive eyebrows exuding determination, she leads the adults in setting a trap, only to discover--after stumbling into the snare herself--that the culprit is a friendly walrus. Forgiven and dubbed Ringo, it becomes a full-fledged member of the Lighthouse Bay paddlers. Rendered in sprightly watercolor and ink cartoons, Marko's action-packed picture book debut features a panoply of compositional styles, lively language (Gilly "scanned the horizon for horns and spikes. She inspected the waves for teeth and claws"), and a protagonist that is the very definition of mettle. Walrus facts conclude. Ages 4--8. Agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic. (Apr.)

A bayside town faces off with a thieving creature of the depths. "I heard the monster nabbed a fishing net last night!" "I heard it swims underwater as fast as a TORPEDO!" "I heard its stinky breath can turn your skin GREEN!" Rumors circulate about an elusive nuisance in Lighthouse Bay. But Gilly, a light-skinned, water-loving child who totes her beloved fish, Finnegan, everywhere (in his bowl), won't let the supposed monster stop her from swimming. That is, until the monster snatches one of her flippers. Gilly enlists a group of other Lighthouse Bay residents, who are diverse in skin tone but unified in their disgust for the alleged monster who has been stealing everything from sweaters to pails of prawns. They craft a rudimentary trap, and the monster is ensnared--but not in Gilly's contraption. Worried that the creature, tangled in a net in the bay, might drown, Gilly softens and helps it, discovering it's not a monster at all but a clingy walrus in need of a pal and eventually befriending it. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations are friendly and matter-of-fact, bringing to life an adventure that's ultimately an unexpected story of friendship. The quick pacing makes for a fantastic read-aloud, rounded out by fun facts about walruses and relevant websites. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A cheerful tale certain to ensnare readers. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.