Ben Clanton

Ben Clanton is a popular American children’s book author and illustrator, best known for creating the Narwhal and Jelly series, funny, colourful graphic-style books for young readers. He was born in 1988 in the United States but later moved to Seattle, Washington with his family. His biggest success is the Narwhal and Jelly series, which started with Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! in 2016. The books are a mix of comics, ideal for early readers. They are packed with silly humour and follow two best friends, Narwhal, a cheerful, goofy who loves waffles, and Jelly, who is more serious and cautious. The stories are fun but also teach lessons about friendship, kindness, and being yourself.

Clanton was inspired by real narwhals after seeing photos that amazed him, and started his first imagined Narwhal around 2012 while doodling sea animals. His aim was to turn that sense of wonder into a fun character. Other books he has written besides Narwhal and Jelly are, It Came in the Mail, Mo’s Mustache, Boo Who? and the Tater Tales series, picture books, the Ploof series with Andy Chou Musser, and more.

Clanton loves drawing all the time and carries a sketchbook everywhere, he enjoys cooking, exploring outdoors, and basketball and his books are especially popular with kids ages 5–9. his books are sought after for their bright, simple illustrations, the jokes and silliness. They are also easy to read which makes them great books for beginners and carry positive messages about friendship.