Naomi Butler (Children's Literature)
Poor Eel is sick because he wakes up not feeling very electric and cannot use his zap. Kate, the mermaid, and Dave, the shark, set out to help their electric eel friend. Dave, who always wants to bite something, says that he will help by biting the eel’s tail. Kate says no and offers to make Eel some sea tea. Eel wants to give them plankton pie as a reward if they help him. They visit fish Puff, who is hiding from a storm above, to help find a solution. She gives several suggestions on what to do--like a cure for hiccups, hot soup, a scarf around the neck and calling a sea doctor. Dave comes up with the idea of a surprise party. Other sea creatures join forces to help. However, in the meantime, Eel feels that they have forgotten him. The party starts with a shock but ends well and Dave learns to be more cautious in biting. The book may have an interest for grades one through three students but it seems to be at a somewhat higher level. It may fulfill a need for an independent chapter book for advanced grades one and two students. It may also be appropriate for slower grades three and four students. 2005, Henry Holt and Co, $15.95. Ages 6 to 8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 10))
In this unusually cast undersea tale for recent Easy Reader graduates, friends help out when Eel wakes up one morning without his electric zing. Those friends include Kate, a young mermaid, and Dave, a shark with the compellingly simple philosophy that biting solves any problem. Together they organize a surprise party that, thanks to a well-timed bolt of lightning topside, culminates in a literally shocking climax that leaves Eel recharged. Landry adds the occasional item of human furniture or clothing to his simply drawn marine scenes, outfitting Eel, for instance, with a baseball cap that he dons after morosely crawling out of bed. Eel's presence notwithstanding, the general level of silliness doesn't quite have the wattage of Denys Cazet's or Deborah Cronin's barnyard tales, but young readers willing to take the plunge will be amused. 2005, Henry Holt, 64p, $15.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 10. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Timnah Card (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2005 (Vol. 59, No. 1))
Kate the mermaid, Dave the shark, and their other underwater friends try to find a way to restore electricity to “the ailing Eel.” Dave’s irresistible urge to bite things precipitates a different crisis, during which a providential lightning strike restores Eel’s zap. This marine tale incorporates humorous patterns suited perfectly to the funny bones of younger readers: Dave and Eel constantly want, respectively, to bite or zap each other just for fun, Eel arrives at his own surprise party before any of the guests, and Dave’s biting instinct drives him to snag his teeth on a wrecked ship’s mast, requiring a mass tug-of-war to free him. The simplicity of the prose, the profusion of pictures (at least one to a page), and the brevity of the paragraphs are likewise aimed to please the younger end of the intended audience. The black-and-white drawings feature thick, wavy outlines and streaky shadows that echo the movements of underwater plants, while the figures themselves alternatively stretch and compress in shape on different pages, increasing the feeling of fluidity. While newly independent readers will enjoy this story, they may get an even bigger kick out of reading it aloud to a younger sibling or friend, as the story will also be appreciated by those too young to read it alone. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (Early Chapter Books) (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Holt, 64p, $15.95. Grades 2-4.

Leta Tillman (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 18, No. 1))
Kate, the mermaid and her buddy, Dave, the shark discover that their friend Eel, an electric eel has lost his “zap.” The two friends begin work on a plan to help Eel by planning a surprise party with all of their sea friends. Meanwhile, Eel wakes up from a well deserved nap and decides that his friends have forgotten him. Kate and Dave’s plan does not quite as planned when signals get mixed on where to meet. Dave, who has wanted to bite into anything in sight, saves the day by finally making his bite and Eel’s zap is restored. The book contains brief chapters and simple words to make it a good early chapter book for young readers. The black-and-white illustrations are definitely not a plus to the book. It is a shame this creative story could not have been paired with illustrations that represented the story better. You may want to add this title to a secondary book list for your collection. Fiction. Grades 2-4. 2005, Holt, 64p., $15.95. Ages 7 to 10.