Review - Mighty Moby

Mighty Moby
by Barbara DaCosta
illustrated by Ed Young
Date: 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A Moby Dick-inspired picture book adventure unlike any you've ever seen--with a surprise ending--from Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young.

Deep in the dark ocean, Mighty Moby lurks. Up above the ocean waves, a one-legged captain pursues the whale he clashed with long ago.

Mighty Moby and the captain are soon locked in another battle... but things aren't always what they seem.

Caldecott Medalist Ed Young brings us a dynamically interactive story with a surprise twist that will have you rocking along to the waves of the ocean.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Well, that was a waste of a few minutes. From the rough mixed-media artwork to the boring text (some of which you can't even read well because of where and how it's formatted), this book left me kind of cold. The "twist" didn't impress me, either.

Unless you're hoping to get your children to read Moby Dick at some point, you probably won't find much of interest here. Neither will kids, I suspect.

Quotable moment:

The sailors sat
scared and silent,
as the whaleboats rocked
upon the rolling waves,

when came

a rumbling

a rushing

an
earthquake
rising
from
the
deep--
THE
WHALE!

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 1.83 out of 5