The Glow Show

March 15, 2023
A proud bioluminescent squid learns that friends are better than fans. The faster Glow twirls, the brighter he shines--but rather than teach his deep-sea spectators how to do the same (and learn from them how to navigate), he spins up to the shallows in search of ever more adoring fans to feed his ego. Unfortunately, in brighter waters, no matter how hard he gyrates, his light is too pale to draw much notice...and, worse yet, when he blindly flees back to darker waters, he ends up in a strange place, lost and alone. So it is that when his old crowd of finny or tentacled neighbors shows up to guide him to homier waters, he gladly starts a "Twirl Academy." And when everyone is up to speed, they produce so much light together that a new and wondrous world of underwater flora and fauna is revealed. Schaefer illustrates this pointed, preachy episode with smiling, googly-eyed sea life (Glow also gets a natty bow tie) in varied hues and closes with a set of "INKredible Squid Facts" plus notes on bioluminescence and other relevant topics. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A dance-y, science-y addition to the moralistic Rainbow Fish school. (Picture book. 5-7)

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May 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 Glow is not only a cartoonish, magenta squid with extra-large, expressive eyes and a black bow tie, he's bioluminescent. In this short, simple narrative, he loves to twirl and perform, which makes him shine even brighter for adoring marine-life fans. But when his fish and mollusk friends ask to twirl and glow along with him, even offering lessons in singing, painting, and navigation in exchange, Glow prefers the spotlight for himself and swims up to the shallower, lighter, and more colorful ocean zone. Failing to glow in this sunnier spot, he then dives down to the ocean's deepest, most isolated zone. When his glow returns, making him easy prey, the squid needs his friends' skills after all, in order to return to their home environment, where he realizes that performing with friends is always better than performing for fans. Childlike illustrations not only lend a playfulness to the friendship theme but also help convey basic ocean science, squid facts, and bioluminescence concepts. Back matter provides similar facts in more detail, keeping the STEM-inspired story light.

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