Unboxing: Review of OwlCrate Jr. September 2019

However after reading Smart About Sharks, this print is actual portraying a Fijian folklore story about Dakuwaqa (a half man, half shark god that protects fishermen while at sea). According to legend he once tried to conquer an island but was confronted by a Goddess Octopus who grabbed Dakuwaqa with her arms and squeezed him very tight. Begging for his life, Dakuwaqa promised to become a protector of the surrounding waters.

It wouldn’t have been hard to include this small story with the print … because once you know the story it is a really cool piece. Without it, it is just violent. In our opinion.

The book pick for September is Malamander by Thomas Taylor and came with a signed bookplate, letter from the author, and a bookmark. We are excited to “dive” into this seaside adventure.

Eerie-On-Sea is a peculiar seaside town with a spooky local legend. John Herbert Lemon and his friend Violet must dodge shady characters as they work to unravel the towns mysteries and secrets and search for the elusive Malamander creature.

Each month a mini magazine is included that features an interview with the author, vendor, puzzles, book recommendations and more!

Overall Rating: B+

1. Narwhal Gel Pen: 3/3

2. Tea Strainer + Gillyweed Tea: 2/3 (In my personal experience I don’t know a lot of kids who drink tea and this is always a personal disappointment for my daughter. I appreciate it though!)

3. The Yeti Files: Attack of the Kraken: 3/3

4. Mermaid Sticker: 3/3

5. Owen Davey Print: 1.5/3 (Neat item, amazing artwork, but the choice of print with lack of story surrounding what it is depicting was a big oversight in my opinion. A real missed opportunity.)

We can’t claim this was our favourite box this year, but I do appreciate the diversity of items included and quality of items. It was a fun, well themed box that will likely be a big hit for some. I do wish they’d stop including tea in the junior boxes and I am so disappointed in the missed opportunity surrounding the Owen Davey print and the mythology it represents.

Note on Rating: I rate each item out of 3 possible points: 1 for quality, 1 for usefulness, and 1 for if I personally liked the item/fandom. I then assign an overall letter rating for the whole box.