A bright tale of self-acceptance, making friends, and waiting until your tide comes in.

All Anemone wants is a friend, but friends are hard to make when you accidentally sting everyone who comes near you.

Perhaps Clownfish has a solution to the problem ...

About the Author
Melbourne-based author, illustrator, and designer Anna McGregor is devoted to giving her young readers modern, quirky, and conceptual stories from the heart. Her day job is graphic design, and when she's not sitting at a desk, Anna enjoys travel, art, and picnics with friends.

Reviews

'This is, at first glance, a very simple, quite quirky and humorous picture book, with minimal text and appealing, colourful, digitally produced illustrations. But it is also a fascinating introduction to life in a rock pool: who lives there, who visits when the tide comes in, who is stung by the anemone and who it can form a symbiotic relationship with.'

-- Margaret Hamilton * Books+Publishing *

'[Anenome is not the Enemy's] dappled art has an appropriately aquatic feel, with the gentle blue of the tides interrupted by the neon zaps of Anemone's stingers. McGregor visually includes simple marine life facts into the backdrop of Anemone's dilemma and then expands upon them in the 'Fun Facts' backmatter, making this a mini-science lesson wrapped in a sweet friendship story.'

* BCCB *

'Terrific neon-hued read-aloud fun.'

-- Sara Keating * The Sunday Business Post *

'This fun and funny picture book tells the story of Anemone who lives in a rock pool and desperately wants a friend ... The digitally produced illustrations add so much to this title, from the eye catching neon pink used for the title, endpapers, and titular character to the simple yet sweetly drawn and coloured sea horse, starfish, and sea cucumber ... I would highly recommend Anemone is not the Enemy for young readers especially those interested in the natural world.'

-- Anne Varnes * Reading Time *

'Utterly charming, and the dialogue between the creatures makes it a fun read aloud ... Simple but oh-so-effective, this is a brilliant book for introducing children to the idea of nature's partnerships.'

* The Little Literary Society *

'An adorable story about an anemone who is hoping to make friends but always happens to sting everyone.'

* The Literacy Party *

'Sweet and informative ... Anna McGregor's appealing and clearly laid out illustration makes the most of the shocking pink of the anemone to create very pretty spreads.'

* BookTrust *

'Even someone socially awkward can find a friend. A habit of stinging keeps lonely Anemone from making friends, but for a clownfish, Anemone is just the right companion ... (The last fact will be familiar to anyone who's seen Disney's Finding Nemo.) ... Attentive readers will be intrigued.'

* Kirkus Reviews *


Awards
Long-listed for ABIA Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year 2021 (Australia) and CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood 2021 (Australia).



Book Information
ISBN 9781913348465
Author Anna McGregor
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Scribble UK
Publisher Scribe Publications
Dimensions(mm) 290mm * 220mm * 9mm