The Narwhal and Jelly Series in Order

About the Narwhal and Jelly series

Series Premise

Narwhal and Jelly spend their days exploring the sea, inventing games, making up stories, sharing snacks (especially waffles), and supporting each other through small everyday challenges and big feelings. Their friendship is the heart of every book—Narwhal’s boundless optimism lifts Jelly out of worry, while Jelly’s common sense gently grounds Narwhal’s wild ideas—showing kids that true friends celebrate each other’s differences and are there through everything.

The series can be read in any order. Each book is a short, self-contained collection of mini-stories or one longer adventure, with no overarching plot, character aging, or cliffhanger continuity across titles. Order doesn’t matter at all—children can pick up any book at any time and fully enjoy the friendship and fun without needing previous context.

Main Characters

Narwhal — A happy-go-lucky narwhal with a single tusk who loves adventure, imagination, and declaring everything “the best day ever.” He is endlessly optimistic, a little naïve, and always ready to turn any moment into a game or story.

- Jelly — Narwhal’s best friend, a small pink jellyfish who is more cautious, practical, and easily worried. Jelly loves Narwhal dearly and often tries to keep things sensible, but he’s just as loyal and willing to go along on wild ideas.

- Supporting sea creatures — Various ocean friends (sharks who turn out to be friendly, crabs, fish, and the occasional sea turtle) who pop in for fun cameos or to join in the adventure.

Setting

The series takes place in a bright, colorful underwater world that feels like a friendly, magical version of the ocean. The friends swim through coral reefs, open water, sunken ships, and sunny patches of sea, always surrounded by bubbles, fish, seaweed, and the occasional treasure (like a lost book or a waffle iron). The setting is simple, whimsical, and timeless—no specific technology or real-world events date the stories—making it easy for children to imagine themselves swimming alongside Narwhal and Jelly.

Tone & Themes

The tone is joyful, silly, gentle, and deeply kind, perfectly pitched for young readers. Narwhal and Jelly’s conversations are full of goofy humor, playful banter, and innocent wonder—everything feels light-hearted and safe. The books gently touch on real kid emotions (worry, jealousy, excitement, disappointment) but resolve them with warmth, understanding, and laughter. There is zero mean-spiritedness or scary content; the overall mood is cozy, encouraging, and full of pure delight.

Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series is pure underwater joy—bright, funny, and full of heart—that celebrates the magic of friendship, imagination, and being exactly who you are. Through Narwhal’s wild enthusiasm and Jelly’s gentle steadiness, the books teach kids that best friends lift each other up, differences make adventures better, and even the smallest worries can be faced with laughter and love. The series remains a perfect early-reader treasure—charming, inclusive, and endlessly re-readable—leaving children (and grown-ups) with the happiest feeling that friendship is the greatest superpower of all. Narwhal and Jelly remind us that the best days are the ones spent with your favorite person, even if that person is a jellyfish.