Lobstah Gahden: Speak Out Against Pollution With a Wicked Awesome Boston Accent!

PreS-Gr 1–Walter is a lobster with a dream to win the undersea “Swell Gahdens Contest.” Unfortunately, his neighbor and rival Milton always wins. One day when trash starts raining on their gardens Milton and Walter must come together to figure out who is polluting the ocean and put a stop to it. Brydon and Keller have created a cracking crustaceous story that is just begging to teach students the dangers of pollution. The text is large and very visible on each page, with the vocabulary sticking to mostly simple words at a kindergarten level. The spelling of some words is not canon, but written to help readers sound out and speak in a charming regional dialect. This helps non-Bostonians with the accent greatly, although other local jokes may not land. Keller’s illustrations blend with the text perfectly, creating an earnest, cartoony backdrop for Walter and Milton’s arguments. Walter’s facial expressions are particularly hilarious and help tell the tale of problems brewing under the sea. Together, Brydon and Keller have climbed over troubled waters to deliver a comical and educational story about two Boston lobsters, their corral gardens, and the dangers of pollution.