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Agatha May and the Anglerfish

Author Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley
Illustrated by Mika Song
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Dial Books
11.38"W x 8.81"H x 0.42"D   | 16 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Dec 13, 2022 | 40 Pages | 9780593324752
Age 5-8 years | Grades K-3
Reading Level: Lexile AD740L | Fountas & Pinnell Q
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A funny, fish-filled story about the joys of learning, and the rewards that come with staying true to who you are

Agatha May just can’t understand why her classmates aren’t as crazy as she is about the hideous humpback anglerfish. But when a school assignment gives Agatha the chance to show everybody what they’re missing, she single-handedly schools them all--and, in the process, discovers a passion for research and an exciting new dream for her future.

This book is perfect for dreamers, outside-the-box thinkers, and anyone who has ever felt like their special interest wasn't appreciated.
Booklist Editors' Choice 2022
A Kids Indie Next List pick

★ “This book is a gem in so many ways…The rhyme is engaging, the art is beautifully rendered, and the story is one that plays out in schools every day…This is a perfect fit for libraries, and a must buy for elementary schools. It is a lively read aloud and captures life in a classroom in a fun way.” –School Library Journal, starred review

★ “A buoyant depiction of a memorable, and possibly life-changing, classroom moment.” –Booklist, starred review

“Clever wordplay and significant bounce give this title a true leg up… the book is replete with factual information about anglerfish, even spilling over into additional details and definitions at the end. The satisfaction of seeing Agatha May rewarded for her fixation is rivaled only by Song’s marvelous watercolor embodiment of Agatha May’s untidy, obsessive self…A paean to the up-and-coming chaotic, incipient scientists of the world.” –Kirkus

“Song captures the classroom’s energy with charged jet-black ink lines, gentle washes, and energetic crayon textures. Foley and her sister Morrison, diver for an aquarium’s curation department, wield smartly scanning verse for this story of triumph about a kid who shines when she can work independently.” –Publishers Weekly


“The lively rhyming text, packed with information about the deep sea and anglerfish in particular, will be enthusiastically received in a science-or ocean-themed story time, and marine biology enthusiasts will want to revisit it for the scientific vocabulary and fascinating facts … Neurodivergent kids—or anyone labeled “weird”—will find a reassuring message that their interests will give them a time to shine.” –BCCB
Nora Morrison is a SCUBA divemaster and works in the curation department of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium as a diver. She loves swimming with ten-foot-long sand tiger sharks and finding teeth in the shark exhibit there. She is also a former travel guidebook writer, and her favorite spots to dive are the islands of Utila, Honduras; Coiba, Panamá; and Maui, Hawaii. “Morrison” means “sea choice” in the Irish language. View titles by Nora Morrison
© Joe Mazza
Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor-winning author of the young adult novels The Carnival at Bray, Neighborhood Girls, and Sorry for Your Loss. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, New York Public Library, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets. She lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. View titles by Jessie Ann Foley
© Jae H Song
MIKA SONG is a children's writer and illustrator who likes to make stories about sweetly funny outsiders. She grew up in Manila, Philippines and Honolulu, Hawaii before moving to New York to study animation at Pratt Institute. She worked in children's educational animation before devoting herself to writing and illustrating children's books. These days she draws in her tiny apartment in Chinatown and volunteers as a Reading Partners tutor with upper elementary kids. View titles by Mika Song

About

A funny, fish-filled story about the joys of learning, and the rewards that come with staying true to who you are

Agatha May just can’t understand why her classmates aren’t as crazy as she is about the hideous humpback anglerfish. But when a school assignment gives Agatha the chance to show everybody what they’re missing, she single-handedly schools them all--and, in the process, discovers a passion for research and an exciting new dream for her future.

This book is perfect for dreamers, outside-the-box thinkers, and anyone who has ever felt like their special interest wasn't appreciated.

Praise

Booklist Editors' Choice 2022
A Kids Indie Next List pick

★ “This book is a gem in so many ways…The rhyme is engaging, the art is beautifully rendered, and the story is one that plays out in schools every day…This is a perfect fit for libraries, and a must buy for elementary schools. It is a lively read aloud and captures life in a classroom in a fun way.” –School Library Journal, starred review

★ “A buoyant depiction of a memorable, and possibly life-changing, classroom moment.” –Booklist, starred review

“Clever wordplay and significant bounce give this title a true leg up… the book is replete with factual information about anglerfish, even spilling over into additional details and definitions at the end. The satisfaction of seeing Agatha May rewarded for her fixation is rivaled only by Song’s marvelous watercolor embodiment of Agatha May’s untidy, obsessive self…A paean to the up-and-coming chaotic, incipient scientists of the world.” –Kirkus

“Song captures the classroom’s energy with charged jet-black ink lines, gentle washes, and energetic crayon textures. Foley and her sister Morrison, diver for an aquarium’s curation department, wield smartly scanning verse for this story of triumph about a kid who shines when she can work independently.” –Publishers Weekly


“The lively rhyming text, packed with information about the deep sea and anglerfish in particular, will be enthusiastically received in a science-or ocean-themed story time, and marine biology enthusiasts will want to revisit it for the scientific vocabulary and fascinating facts … Neurodivergent kids—or anyone labeled “weird”—will find a reassuring message that their interests will give them a time to shine.” –BCCB

Author

Nora Morrison is a SCUBA divemaster and works in the curation department of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium as a diver. She loves swimming with ten-foot-long sand tiger sharks and finding teeth in the shark exhibit there. She is also a former travel guidebook writer, and her favorite spots to dive are the islands of Utila, Honduras; Coiba, Panamá; and Maui, Hawaii. “Morrison” means “sea choice” in the Irish language. View titles by Nora Morrison
© Joe Mazza
Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor-winning author of the young adult novels The Carnival at Bray, Neighborhood Girls, and Sorry for Your Loss. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, New York Public Library, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets. She lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. View titles by Jessie Ann Foley
© Jae H Song
MIKA SONG is a children's writer and illustrator who likes to make stories about sweetly funny outsiders. She grew up in Manila, Philippines and Honolulu, Hawaii before moving to New York to study animation at Pratt Institute. She worked in children's educational animation before devoting herself to writing and illustrating children's books. These days she draws in her tiny apartment in Chinatown and volunteers as a Reading Partners tutor with upper elementary kids. View titles by Mika Song

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