Narwhal and Jelly are back in another installment of their wildly popular (and adorable) graphic novel series. This one features a PALentine's Day between these two best friends.

Narwhal is excited to show Jelly just how much she loves and appreciates his friendship, but she spends so much time creating a friendship book, cards, and a friend-SHIP that Jelly has to remind her that what he really wants is to spend time with her!

My kids (9 and 6) and I loved the graphics and the fun puns throughout the book. Every time Narwhal left, she would leave Jelly with a fun farewell, like "See you soon, Baboon!" or "In a Mo', Mango!" I've started saying these to my own kids because they're so fun!

This book is great for discussions around how we can show love and appreciation for our friends/siblings, and how quality time is so important for building stronger relationships.

Plus, it wouldn't be a Narwhal and Jelly book without some fun sea creature facts! This book features symbiotic relationships within the ocean (like clown fish and sea anemones).

This book is perfect for early readers looking to get into longer books, and for emergent readers practicing their reading. It's also great for a Valentine's Day read-aloud! I can't wait for more Narwhal and Jelly books!

Thank you to Tundra Book Group and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Narwhal and Jelly celebrate Palentine’s Day, diving into the different ways one can show love and appreciation and the potential for misunderstanding.

I read this book with my five year old and we both loved it. He thought it was funny, laughing out loud throughout, and really enjoyed the silly puns and drawings. I appreciated that we could talk about how each of the characters were feeling and the different ways one could respond. The fun animal facts were a fun bonus. We’ll definitely be reading more from this collection!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tundra Book Group and Ben Clanton for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

These two can do no wrong. They are my second favorite duo after Elephant and Piggie. I recommend them to anyone who shows an interest in graphic novels. They're especially good for reluctant readers who are maybe behind in reading level but want to have the experience of a chapter book.

Thank you for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

4.5/5⭐️

In the words of my 8 year old:

“I really liked this book! I thought it was super funny—especially how Narwhal keeps on talking even when Jelly is like, “What are you saying?” That part made me laugh. I love reading Narwhal and Jelly books because they’re just really funny and they feel like my type of book.

The only thing I didn’t like is that it was too short. I wanted it to be longer because I didn’t want it to end!

I also feel like I can relate to the characters—like, I kind of see myself in them. I think other kids would like this book too, especially if they like silly stories and funny friends.”

This review is based on an ARC.

My son and I love Narwhal and Jelly. We spend endless amounts of time reading these books, and this one was no exception. We had good conversations about being a good friend and how to show love. This story is super cute and worth reading.

These books are always fun to read, especially with my kiddo, and this one was no exception! Even though we’ve read it together, we’ll still buy it when the physical copies are available. The only complaint I had was that this felt shorter than other Narwhal and Jelly books, though it got its point across and was super cute in the pages we had. Overall, I definitely recommend to fans of the series and new fans who might enjoy this fun and cute series.

A Waffle Lot of Love was yet another story that my children and I thoroughly enjoyed. My twelve year old said, and I quote, "I think they really like waffles!" This book is the reason why my children ask for a very specific breakfast item everyday, and it's made for some lovely moments. Narwhal and Jelly's relationship dynamic made my kids laugh the entire read. A great book for primary to middle school children! Thanks again for sending this book to me- it was a joy to read and review.

Lovely book. Narwhal reminds me of a hyperactive 5-7 year old, so it's perfect for the target market. I think it demonstrates the importance of friendship being time spent rather than money spent. I like the style of the comic and think it would be a nice introductory comic book for a child learning how to read that style.

My kids and I have enjoyed previous installments of the Narwhal and Jelly series and they were so excited that I received an e-ARC of the newest adventure of these adorable best friends!

This graphic novel for early readers is absolutely adorable, with cute illustrations, witty puns, and fun "see you later" rhymes. The story is focused on PAL-entines day where Jelly wants to spend the day with his best buddy Narwhal, but Narwhal keeps getting distracted with all the ways he wants to show his appreciation for Jelly. The back and forth is really fun and cute!

My 9 year old thought it was really funny and cute. She says she loved that it was all about friendship and kindness and how to treat others with respect and that it is a good message for kids to read about.

Overall another winner in the Narwhal and Jelly series! Thanks again to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC. All opinions are our own.

ARC Read May 2025!!

A joyful story told with a perfect amount of artistic magic. Every page was a magically great one.

No like I mean it. Those illustrations were truly out of this world. Or perhaps under the sea 🤭

This was such a cute story. My daughter loves it. We liked all the ocean puns and the friendship storyline

Absolutely adorable!

Overall: 5⭐
Plot/Lesson:° 4📍
Smiles: 5 🤣
Illustrations: 5 🖌️
Suggested Ages: 3-8 y/o

"Mom's Review"
We're officially adding some of these flippin' fin-tastic animal puns to our family's lexicon! Mr. Clanton does it again with another adorable, silly, hilarious adventure between these two unlikely friends!

I will always remain impressed with how emotive his drawings are, despite their *relative* simplicity! Another superb addition to the Narwhal and Jelly collection!

A's Review^:
I love reading Narwhal and Jelly! We have a few of their books at home so I was super excited when Mommy told me we'd get to read this one.

I thought the book was really funny! Especially when Jelly said "This Jellyfish has gotta swish!"

I really liked [all the puns and silly plays on ocean terms] throughout the book! And the really big gift Narwhal gives Jelly was just so silly!

C's Review°:
[I requested a re-read same night but fell asleep halfway through the second reading! Oops! But I never stopped giggling the whole time we read this one!]
(Full review to come!)

Thank you to Ben Clanton, Tundra Book Group, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

All opinions are my own.

° = Our Plot/Lesson rating is how well the kiddos picked up on the morals/lessons learned or well recieved the facts were.
^ = A, "Ready to Read" level 3, voracious reader
* = C, learning her letters, but memorizes stories well!
I paraphrase the kids’ opinions 90% of the time, but will call out their direct quotes.

Absolutely adorable and so much fun! My daughter has just recently really found a love for Narwhal and Jelly and I think she will truly love this one. She has a thing for waffles too.
The pictures were consistent with previous books as was the fact pages and the big words(mom lives the use of big words……unfathomably and fandango being two of my favorites).
This might just be her valentines gif next year!!!!!!

Such a sweet friendship story. Love all the puns in this books. It will definitely have kids laughing out loud.

Narwhal and Jelly are back with another set of 3 silly stories: these focused on friendship. As always, the stories make you laugh and the illustrations are super cute. My kids always love these stories!

Thanks to Tundra Book Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Book Review: A Waffle Lot of Love (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #10) by Ben Clanton

A WAFFLE LOT OF LOVE is undeniably cute—chock-full of colorful sea creatures, silly puns, and breakfast-themed charm. Ben Clanton’s playful artwork and wordplay are sweet, and if you're already a fan of the series, you’ll probably gobble it up like a warm waffle.

That said, as someone jumping in at book ten, I found the pacing a bit ... baffling. The humor, while delightfully punny, felt stretched in places, and the narrative meandered more than it splashed. What should’ve felt zippy and zany just dragged, which may be a mismatch for the attention spans of its young audience. Books that teach children the virtues of patience are a great idea. Books that make readers wait and wait and wait, seemingly for no reason are a nuisance.

Still, with ten books, this series clearly has staying power—maybe I’m just late to the party. For seasoned Narwhal and Jelly fans, this might be another dollop of fun. For newcomers, it might be best to start earlier in the series to build a taste for the flavor. For me, it’s just not my cup of syrup.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for sending this book for review consideration. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Narwhal and Jelly are back! This time they are dealing with friendship. When Narwhal wants to show Jelly how much their friendship means but Jelly has a different idea of how to show what their friendship means. Will these two friends get on the same page?

My 7 year old and I enjoyed reading this together! It was a perfect story about friendship and how time spent together is more valuable than any material item that you could give. This is a perfect book to share on "PALentine's Day" with someone you love!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the ARC of this book!

My kids (7 and 9) have loved this series for a while and we really enjoyed reading this book together. The 9 year old is starting to feel a little old for it and rated it lower, but the 7 year old still loved this. Clanton brought his signature silliness and warmth to this 10th book and it's a fun one for kids who enjoy the Narwhal and Jelly relationship. Not much happens, lol, but it's about friendship.
7-year old review: 5 stars. "It's super funny because narwhal keeps saying funny things."
9-year old review: 3.5 stars "Pretty good, but it wasn't an adventure."

I love the Narwhal and Jelly Books! They are always so fun to read to the littles and they remind us of how fun it can be to have a great, best friend! There is also lots to love with this and how you can love your friends platonically, even on love holidays.