Poor Little Guy

The ocean can be a tough place, and Allen’s eponymous hero, a diminutive bespectacled fish that resembles a tennis ball with fins, has found himself in the path of an octopus so huge that even the margins of the page can’t contain him. Worse, Octopus uses his tentacles to toy with Little Guy, creating a maze, a cage, and then—in a move that should vanquish any ideas that Octopus is just a genial galoot—a serving platter. But when the right moment presents itself, Little Guy reveals that he’s actually a very prickly puffer fish, turning the tables—and the title—on his bully. Allen (the Eva and Sadie books) renders the ocean in pale swirls of green and blue that create a powerful sense of underwater movement; her calligraphic hand-lettered text swims in and around the action. Though figuring out where to focus takes a little work, if readers keep their eye on Little Guy, they’ll be rewarded with a clever and visually striking tale that proves revenge is a dish best served wet. Ages 3–5. Agent: Julie Kane Ritsch, Gotham Group. (June)