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Marcel the Shell #2
Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been
One thing about a new day--you really never know where it will go, even if you know where it starts.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is walking on the blanket when he is unexpectedly launched high into the air. Tumbling through space, the bird's-eye view offers our small friend not only a glimpse of the important things in life--his beloved Nana who sleeps in a fancy French bread, a stinky shoe, and a monstrous baby--but also a much bigger picture. Sometimes the most wonderful discoveries are the ones we least expect.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is walking on the blanket when he is unexpectedly launched high into the air. Tumbling through space, the bird's-eye view offers our small friend not only a glimpse of the important things in life--his beloved Nana who sleeps in a fancy French bread, a stinky shoe, and a monstrous baby--but also a much bigger picture. Sometimes the most wonderful discoveries are the ones we least expect.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published October 21, 2014
4 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 24, 2019
my review for this book will be a kind of open letter to the people on my thread for The Book with No Pictures who were critical of my underwhelmed reaction to it and scolded me that since i don't spend time with kids, my opinions are "basically useless." i was very clear in my review that i was an adult reader with no child-contact, and that my response to the book was one of someone who was nowhere near its target audience. i didn't need to share my personal backstory, but i chose to, thinking it would be helpful for readers of the review to know, so they could feel free to dismiss my opinion on those grounds. quietly. to themselves. but b.j. novak is someone whose successful day job is going to attract a lot of readers to the book who are not the intended audience, and i read it when it crossed my desk out of curiosity, and that was my honest response.
one user asked:
Then why are you reviewing children's books? Childrens books are not written for adults to love, but for children to love.
because some books intended for children can still be appreciated by adults, duh. Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball, Sparky!, Hedgehog in the Fog are all books for kids that i have loved. and now there's this one. that i love. and like b.j. novak, jenny slate is someone whose acting and comedy career is going to attract even childless readers who are interested in what kind of book she might produce. so to you poo-pooers - POO ON YOU because i LOVED this book. and here's the kicker - i'm not really a fan of what little i have seen of jenny slate's acting. a few snl episodes, bob's burgers (which i do love) and parks and rec, where she plays one half of the most annoying duo in the everlovin' world:
and obviously that character is meant to be annoying, so it's a success in terms of her ability to BE incredibly annoying, but it doesn't prevent me from prolonged cringing every single time they are onscreen.
but then connor showed me a video, and i completely fell in love with this little lopsided shell-creature.
here's one
here's another one
one more!
there are some scattered others, but it gives you a good sense of what this shell is all about. marcel is such an endearing little guy, and her voice is just perfect - soft and gentle, a little vulnerable, and you just wanna pick him up and give him a gentle hug. or i do, anyway.
and this book is different from the first marcel book, from what i can tell from the reviews. this is an all-new story, not just a static version of the videos.
and it's so weird. in a good way. it's a tiny little story about the most surprised marcel has ever been, but like the videos, it's not a linear narrative - it is told in that little kid way of telling a story, with digressions and off-kilter details that aren't important to the actual story, but veer off into the fascinating territory of what pops into marcel's head as he is telling the tale. it's a surreal little journey, with words and paintings.
this is my favorite page of the book
it's adorable.
and people of ANY age can enjoy it, which is what characterizes a successful children's book in my eyes. because it's not the kids who are shelling out the money for these books. it has to appeal to an adult on some level in order to get into the hands of a child, and this one stands out from the pack and it made this barren old wench smile. so there.
come to my blog!
one user asked:
Then why are you reviewing children's books? Childrens books are not written for adults to love, but for children to love.
because some books intended for children can still be appreciated by adults, duh. Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball, Sparky!, Hedgehog in the Fog are all books for kids that i have loved. and now there's this one. that i love. and like b.j. novak, jenny slate is someone whose acting and comedy career is going to attract even childless readers who are interested in what kind of book she might produce. so to you poo-pooers - POO ON YOU because i LOVED this book. and here's the kicker - i'm not really a fan of what little i have seen of jenny slate's acting. a few snl episodes, bob's burgers (which i do love) and parks and rec, where she plays one half of the most annoying duo in the everlovin' world:
and obviously that character is meant to be annoying, so it's a success in terms of her ability to BE incredibly annoying, but it doesn't prevent me from prolonged cringing every single time they are onscreen.
but then connor showed me a video, and i completely fell in love with this little lopsided shell-creature.
here's one
here's another one
one more!
there are some scattered others, but it gives you a good sense of what this shell is all about. marcel is such an endearing little guy, and her voice is just perfect - soft and gentle, a little vulnerable, and you just wanna pick him up and give him a gentle hug. or i do, anyway.
and this book is different from the first marcel book, from what i can tell from the reviews. this is an all-new story, not just a static version of the videos.
and it's so weird. in a good way. it's a tiny little story about the most surprised marcel has ever been, but like the videos, it's not a linear narrative - it is told in that little kid way of telling a story, with digressions and off-kilter details that aren't important to the actual story, but veer off into the fascinating territory of what pops into marcel's head as he is telling the tale. it's a surreal little journey, with words and paintings.
this is my favorite page of the book
it's adorable.
and people of ANY age can enjoy it, which is what characterizes a successful children's book in my eyes. because it's not the kids who are shelling out the money for these books. it has to appeal to an adult on some level in order to get into the hands of a child, and this one stands out from the pack and it made this barren old wench smile. so there.
come to my blog!
Read
February 2, 2015"I can't have the coffee because one time I took half a sip and I didn't blink for five hours."
FIVE STARS.
FIVE STARS.
December 29, 2023
MAN I wasn’t prepared for Nana Connie to show up here☹️ shed a single tear
October 7, 2015
I picked up this book because I have seen the Marcell the Shell video on youtube. There is a simple sort of humor in Marcell’s everyday observations from his tiny shell world. In this book Marcell is launched into the sky and gets to see the room he is in from a whole new perspective.
I could appreciate this book since I had seen the videos but the randomness of Marcell’s thoughts seem to distract from the storyline. The book is a cute read and has fun playing with words but lacks a meaningful plot.
I could appreciate this book since I had seen the videos but the randomness of Marcell’s thoughts seem to distract from the storyline. The book is a cute read and has fun playing with words but lacks a meaningful plot.
December 10, 2014
The youtube videos are still my favorite way to visit with Marcel - but nonetheless, I am still in awe of this couple's combined talent!
December 30, 2014
Very cute book, and beautiful illustrations. It's probably not as cute if you've never watched the videos, though.
July 15, 2023
The first attempt at a relatively longer form and singular story for Marcel. The third short released in the same year experimented with it slightly with the minor throughline of Marcel being trapped outside, but this one really commits to just one event, one story. And it makes a strong case for Marcel’s versatility. There’s the lines that win laughs like the one about the baby, yes. But there’s also sweet, gentle ruminations on things being beautiful just to be beautiful, how everything looks so small and connected from above, and how even the most surprising thing that happened to you is just one part of the day, and the day goes on. Combined with the warm artwork, and this is a quiet and tender story that has me eager to see how they pull off the movie.
November 5, 2024
The Marcel the Shell books are always such a joy. They are hilarious and totally off the wall, but somehow they make so much sense at the same time. Marcel is just a little shell with shoes, but he sure knows how to tell a good story. This time, he tells us about the time he was “the most surprised he’s ever been.” There are pictures of cake and babies in cribs and all kinds of things that don’t make sense when I’m just writing them here, but somehow, Fleischer-Camp and Slate make them believable. And you believe that Marcel could be a friend you just talked to or a family member. Whimsical fun for everyone! Magnificent photos! A great laugh if nothing else. :)
Mia’s Year of Books: Day 240.
Mia’s Year of Books: Day 240.
July 2, 2017
This one kinda-sorta has a plot.
*stares at you, shocked and in disbelief*
Marcel is hilarious and adorable and the pictures are on point. Well done!
*stares at you, shocked and in disbelief*
Marcel is hilarious and adorable and the pictures are on point. Well done!
January 29, 2018
I hope they do audiobooks or another YouTube video of this. I love Marcel The Shell 😊.
October 12, 2019
Well that was a silly, fun, delightful children’s book! Marcel is flung from a blanket and details his “life flashing before his eyes” experience. I liked the style of the illustrations.
April 10, 2020
Too cute!!
November 10, 2020
V. cute
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January 30, 2021hearts hearts hearts hearts hearts
June 3, 2022
Ok, this one was good! The font was completely read-able, unlike the first book, and I LOVED the story and the pacing and the illustrations. A very enjoyable read all-round.
June 26, 2022
Cute kids book. Looking forward to Marcel movie.
April 19, 2023
Another adorable story about Marcel the Shell. I'm glad this one uses a font that is much easier to read.
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November 7, 2023Read to baby girl.
February 21, 2025
What is there to say besides, this is just delightful and sweet. How can you not love Marcel the Shell? Wonderful!
January 31, 2015
Marcel the Shell is based on a series of Youtube shorts that follow Marcel the Shell on its daily adventures and allows us to see what it's like to be a shell. In this story of The Most Surprised I've Ever Been, we see Marcel going about his day, walking his piece of lint-Allen (Al for short), when all of a sudden, Marcel gets thrown into the air for a new adventure all the way across the room.
In this story, what I really appreciated was the language used throughout the story. If you have seen the videos, you know Marcel the Shell has a quirky little voice that can be really fun to incorporate in reading it aloud. And while the humor stayed true to the original videos, it was simplistic enough to be understood by a child, but equally as enjoyable for an adult to read. Additionally, I liked how Slate chooses to describe Marcel's journey as "surprising" rather than scary. From my perspective, the situation of being thrown in the air would appear startling to me, but Jenny Slate takes the opportunity to make this a surprising adventure that Marcel goes through to experience life from a new point of view, which, I am not sure if children comprehend, but perhaps it may allow them to maybe not be so afraid of new or unexpected situations.
In this story I find the illustrations to be quite interesting. The illustrator switches between a view of Marcel and Marcel's point of view. And I think its helpful to have along with the text, because the reader I being told the story by Marcel, so I like that we get the perspective as we would see a little shell in the air. But by getting illustrations from Marcel's point of view we get a better understanding of exactly what the shell sees as well as Marcel's thought process as he goes through this phase of discovery and interpretation of the foreign things around the house.
In this story, what I really appreciated was the language used throughout the story. If you have seen the videos, you know Marcel the Shell has a quirky little voice that can be really fun to incorporate in reading it aloud. And while the humor stayed true to the original videos, it was simplistic enough to be understood by a child, but equally as enjoyable for an adult to read. Additionally, I liked how Slate chooses to describe Marcel's journey as "surprising" rather than scary. From my perspective, the situation of being thrown in the air would appear startling to me, but Jenny Slate takes the opportunity to make this a surprising adventure that Marcel goes through to experience life from a new point of view, which, I am not sure if children comprehend, but perhaps it may allow them to maybe not be so afraid of new or unexpected situations.
In this story I find the illustrations to be quite interesting. The illustrator switches between a view of Marcel and Marcel's point of view. And I think its helpful to have along with the text, because the reader I being told the story by Marcel, so I like that we get the perspective as we would see a little shell in the air. But by getting illustrations from Marcel's point of view we get a better understanding of exactly what the shell sees as well as Marcel's thought process as he goes through this phase of discovery and interpretation of the foreign things around the house.
March 22, 2015
Marcel the Shell: the Most Surprised I've Ever Been is based off of the youtube videos that introduce the character of Marcel the Shell, and now Marcel has moved on to continue in picture books. Marcel tells the story of the most surprising day ever, when it was launched off of a blanket and got to experience a whole new perspective on the world. Marcel is able to see the true perspective of the room that it lives in and see the true scale of everything that it has never experienced because it is so tiny. And in the end, Marcel falls and lands in a cake.
This story uses a ton of humor in reference to the perspective that someone as small as a shell would experience. Children would be able to find the humor in the fact that the shell lives on a piece of bread, and falls into a cake. But a lot of the humorous details might be a little to complex for young readers and audiences to pick up on. The ideas of the baby being a monster in jail or the dust bunny acting as a dog are not as simple uses of humor, so it is funnier for the parent reading the book than the child.
This story only really makes sense and works if the reader has previous knowledge of the character and story of Marcel the Shell. It makes a lot of references to the events from the videos that make the book much more enjoyable and fun for the audience, for example it mentions Alan which is the dust bunny that is tied to a hair to pretend it is a dog. This is just mentioned in the book but with prior knowledge, the mention is much funnier. While this book is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it, I don't think that it is a really quality book for little kids.
This story uses a ton of humor in reference to the perspective that someone as small as a shell would experience. Children would be able to find the humor in the fact that the shell lives on a piece of bread, and falls into a cake. But a lot of the humorous details might be a little to complex for young readers and audiences to pick up on. The ideas of the baby being a monster in jail or the dust bunny acting as a dog are not as simple uses of humor, so it is funnier for the parent reading the book than the child.
This story only really makes sense and works if the reader has previous knowledge of the character and story of Marcel the Shell. It makes a lot of references to the events from the videos that make the book much more enjoyable and fun for the audience, for example it mentions Alan which is the dust bunny that is tied to a hair to pretend it is a dog. This is just mentioned in the book but with prior knowledge, the mention is much funnier. While this book is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it, I don't think that it is a really quality book for little kids.
January 31, 2015
Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been is one of my favorite children's books! I fell in love with Marcel the Shell over YouTube and was thrilled to see him translated to a book. This book is hilarious for children and adults alike!
There is a play on words that the author, Jenny Slate, uses to make this book especially charming. She takes common items that humans use and changes their purpose to fit a shell's needs. For example, he sleeps on a bread, not a bed. These puns carry on throughout the books and make it humorous for adults, too.
Another thing that stands out about this book are the illustrations. A lot of them are from the perspective of Marcel, so things looks very different to him. As the readers, we go along the journey with him as he soars through the sky and we see what he sees from up above. It is an interesting take on illustrations, too because the images are not the clearest. I think this has to do with the fact that he only has one eye and his perception of things is altered.
Overall, I loved this book because of its humor. Jenny Slate's comedienne past really carries through in this book.
There is a play on words that the author, Jenny Slate, uses to make this book especially charming. She takes common items that humans use and changes their purpose to fit a shell's needs. For example, he sleeps on a bread, not a bed. These puns carry on throughout the books and make it humorous for adults, too.
Another thing that stands out about this book are the illustrations. A lot of them are from the perspective of Marcel, so things looks very different to him. As the readers, we go along the journey with him as he soars through the sky and we see what he sees from up above. It is an interesting take on illustrations, too because the images are not the clearest. I think this has to do with the fact that he only has one eye and his perception of things is altered.
Overall, I loved this book because of its humor. Jenny Slate's comedienne past really carries through in this book.
December 11, 2014
Such a great book that kids will really be able to relate to, especially if they have seen the Marcel the shell videos on YouTube. A very cute story about how a little shell sees the world around it. Would be great for 1-3 grade. Would be fun as a read aloud or just in the classroom library for free reading. Could be a great tool to introduce the idea of perspective.
August 27, 2015
Kind of bizarre. I thought at first that Marcel was a snail, which grossed me out because it was on someone's blanket in their house, and their grandmother lived inside a bread. But then I realized it was just a shell, so ok. But then I was wondering - how can a shell, which isn't alive, be talking to me? Guess it's all in the perspective, which is something this book can be used to teach.
February 11, 2015
I adore Marcel the Shell and was elated to discover he had a new picture book. I just wish he had a new video too because I love hearing his diminutive voice. In the mean time, this was a much better, friendlier layout than the first book.
November 20, 2014
It's a perfect children's book with gorgeous lush photos and the voice of Marcel is on every page. The perfect YouTube video gets the perfect book adaption. I could read about Marcel's devilish "exploits" for days on end.
June 13, 2015
An Inspiration from a Small Voice with a Big Heart
I've always loved Marcel, so now I have more reason. Wonder is hard to teach, but easy for this little person to describe. Keep sharing, Marcel!
I've always loved Marcel, so now I have more reason. Wonder is hard to teach, but easy for this little person to describe. Keep sharing, Marcel!
May 16, 2017
I lovvvvve Marcel the Shell, and I love the layout of the large numbers vs text, his adorable personality, and the cool perspective he has (like a baby in crib being in "jail!") But... the ending didn't really go anywhere. So bummed.
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October 18, 2014I love anything Marcel the Shell and I couldn't help but hear this in that distinctive voice!
October 25, 2014
I can't help but read the new Marcel book in his cute little voice that we first heard in his videos. This is a good one to use in the classroom for point of view.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews