Kip knows the rules. He carries the Kraken Safety Handbook everywhere, plans for every possible disaster, and knows better than to cross the Sunline without an adult.

Then one bad decision and a powerful magical current launch him out of the ocean and into a landlocked lake hundreds of miles from home. Kip has no idea where he is, his shell compass isn't helping, and the air is touching all of him. He needs to find the ocean before he dries out, preferably without anyone discovering that he broke the most important kraken rule.

Then he meets Pip, a young griffin with an injured wing, a missing family, and a completely different approach to danger. She's trying to reach Skyreach, where her family is headed with the griffin migration. Kip needs the sea. Pip claims she knows the way.

Their journey across the Mythiverse takes them through fairy territory, over broken bridges, past hungry basilisks, beneath enchanted rain clouds, and into more trouble than Kip's handbook could ever prepare him for. Along the way, the cautious kraken and fearless griffin discover they might have more in common than either expected.

Because Pip isn't as fearless as she pretends to be. And Kip is beginning to realize that being careful isn't the same as having to do everything alone.

Funny, adventurous, and full of heart, Kraken a Smile is a middle-grade fantasy about an unlikely friendship, finding courage when you're scared, and learning that asking for help can be its own kind of bravery.

Perfect for readers ages 9?12 who love magical creatures, laugh-out-loud adventures, heartfelt friendships, and discovering an entire world just beyond the one they know.