Parrotfish Has a Superpower

by Jill Esbaum, Bob Shea (Illustrator)

Overview

A factual (and funny) introduction to the parrotfish and its incredible somewhat-squirmy superpower, from the team that brought you Stinkbird Has a Superpower.

Just wait till you hear what a parrotfish can do! You may know they live in warm tropical waters, have an interesting trick for hiding from predators, and have crazy-incredible teeth. But they also do something that no other fish can do—and Parrotfish is eager to tell you all about it.

There’s just one problem—nosy Hammerhead Shark keeps interrupting to talk about himself.

But even Hammerhead gets intrigued and bellows, “WHAT. IS. YOUR. SUPERPOWER!!”

Want to know what it is? Read this book!

Reader beware: you may never look at a day at the beach the same way again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593532010
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	784,386
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jill Esbaum has written many books for children, including How to Grow a Dinosaur, Frankenbunny, and If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party. Several of her books have been nominated for state awards, and I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo! won SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award. She also enjoys writing kooky beginning reader stories like Thunder and Cluck, as well as a variety of nonfiction books. Follow her on Twitter @JEsbaum.

Bob Shea is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books, including the popular Ballet Cat series, the Dinosaur Vs. series, and the runaway smash hit Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great. He is an Eisner Award nominee and has worked with Comedy Central, PBS Kids, Playhouse Disney, Nick Jr., Google, and other clients. Follow him on Instagram @BobSheaBooks.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Parrotfish Has a Superpower:

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“The creators of Stinkbird Has a Superpower (2023) have produced another informative, funny, and engaging tale centered on a bizarre animal fact. . .As in Stinkbird, Shea’s colorful cartoon illustrations add greatly to the humor. The lively presentation and ick factor make this a winner. A strikingly original look at a most unusual marine creature.” –Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-03-23
What makes the parrotfish so special?

The creators of Stinkbird Has a Superpower (2023) have produced another informative, funny, and engaging tale centered on a bizarre animal fact. Boastful Parrotfish really wants to tell a hammerhead shark about its superpower, but the shark keeps interrupting. Parrotfish builds suspense by revealing other fun facts: Some parrotfish sleep in a mucus sac; they have about 1,000 hard teeth, which resemble a beak; they eat algae and polyps; and they have even more teeth in their throats! As amazing as these facts are, however, they aren’t the parrotfish’s superpower. Finally, our hero points out a sandy shore and says, “Guess who made that beach? Me!” The shark is skeptical (“You’re saying you eat coral, then poop it out as white sand…Which washes ashore….And becomes that beach?”), surprised, and finally impressed—and, as he demonstrates that he has a useful ability of his own, a friendship is born. As in Stinkbird, Shea’s colorful cartoon illustrations add greatly to the humor. Dramatic expressions and body language convey emotion, and the backgrounds provide a reasonable sense of the animals’ habitat. Parrotfish is bright eyed and vibrantly colored; the shark shows off sharp teeth. Color-coded speech bubbles convey the characters’ conversation, making it easy to identify who’s saying what. The lively presentation and ick factor make this a winner. The beach scene depicts racially diverse humans.

A strikingly original look at a most unusual marine creature. (list of true/false statements about parrotfish) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews