Young dolphin Pearl encounters braggarts, bullies, and friends during her first day at magical dolphin school.The Coral Cove Dolphin School is where young dolphins go to learn the magical skills they need for their roles as protectors of the ocean. Pearl's excited on her first day. To help her, Pearl's father gives her the advice that becomes her didactic motto for the rest of the book: "Always choose kindness." At school, Pearl quickly makes friends but also encounters Flip, a cardboard character who exists just to brag. Of course Pearl, her new friends, and Flip all end up in the same pod. As the book progresses, the dolphins' character traits (boastfulness, impetuosity, kindness, etc.) are hammered in repetitively, interspersed with worldbuilding exposition communicated in lectures. At recess with older dolphins, they encounter a bully (no motivations neededhe's just a bully), who eventually dares Flip to swim alone in an area known for sharks. Sure enough, a shark appears, and the plucky heroes save the day (with the teachers arriving just in time for the danger to have passed). After this bonding experience, Flip no longer brags but is "smart and funny"readers will have to take the narration's word for it, though, as it's just one last instance of telling instead of showing.Sinks. (Fantasy. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

All Pearl, a young dolphin, has ever known is the lagoon where her family protects newly hatched sea turtles. But today is Pearl's first day at Coral Cove Dolphin School, where she will learn how to use her magical abilities to help other creatures in the Salty Sea. Pearl quickly becomes friends with Echo and Splash, but she isn't sure what to do about Flip, who claims to be the best at everything, or Mullet, an older dolphin who bullies the newbies. As she confronts these new challenges, she tries to live by her father's advice to always choose kindness. The characters are distinctly drawn, and the setting easily imagined in this first installment in the Dolphin School series. Two instructive themes emerge from the book: being a braggart can get you into trouble, and helping others, no matter the cost, is an important act of kindness. The simple story, short chapters, and black-and-white illustrations combine to make this an imaginative choice for readers starting to tackle chapter books.--Moore, Melissa Copyright 2016 Booklist