Captain Starfish

Alfie is worried about his starfish costume and the Underwater Dress-Up Parade--he's "got that feeling." He's had it before. Once, fearing he'd come in last, he backed out of a race. Another time, on the way to a friend's birthday party and anxious about musical chairs, he asked his mother to turn around. Colpoys's stylish, silkscreen-style illustrations use contrasting shades of sea green, deep blue, and bright pink to represent both the real world and Alfie's rich interior life--he dreams of menacing sea creatures and talks to the cowboys on his wallpaper. When Alfie decides that he can't handle the parade, his parents don't push. A consolatory trip to the aquarium introduces Alfie to a clown fish, whose timidity reflects his own. "Sometimes clown fish need to hide away," his mother observes. "People, too," Alfie adds. Stories about childhood fears abound, but first-time author Bell writes about a more unusual situation--a child who shrinks from experiences that other children find pleasurable. With time, she implies, and with the unwavering support of parents, even these anxieties may wane. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--Bell and Colpoys convey the turmoil of an introvert maneuvering the social expectations of school. Alfie's public anxiety has caused him to miss a dinosaur party and running races, and he's really dreading dressing up as a starfish for the Underwater Dress-Up Parade. Following his subaquatic nightmares, Mom calmly allows Alfie to skip the parade and instead takes him to the aquarium where he is charmed by a brief encounter with a shy clown fish. On the way home in a bus populated by imaginary ocean creatures, Mom acknowledges that some people are like clown fish and need to hide away, "It's just what they do." Alfie commiserates yet fulfills his pledge to participate in the parade the following year and dresses as a clown fish. Colpoys's retro drawings are colored in neon peach and cobalt blue, with sea-foam green accents. VERDICT The unconditional acceptance of Alfie's parents makes this book unique and may prove assuring to children of similar character. An excellent choice for one-on-one sharing.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Colpoys's stylish, silkscreen-style illustrations use contrasting shades of sea green, deep blue, and bright pink to represent both the real world and Alfie's rich interior life."— "Publishers Weekly"