SKY ISLAND

Trot the girl and Cap’n Bill the cat are back in another adventure with the Sea Sirens (2019).

School is out, and Trot is ready for another summer of surfing. In hopes of spending some time with her Sea Siren friends, Trot sends them a message in a bottle with the help of her grandfather and his fishing pole. When she receives an urgent message from King Anko in a different bottle, Trot, Cap’n Bill, and Grandpa clamber into the monarch’s submarine. Once they’re onboard, Princess Clia explains that her best friend, Merla, has been kidnapped by humans. With a little magic to replace her tail with legs, Princess Clia joins the three on land, where they discover the boat that took Merla is connected to abandoned amusement park Sky Island. With the help of Grandpa’s friend, they set off to Sky Island to rescue Merla. Featuring the same bright color palette and impressive linework as its predecessor, this sequel is another stunning work of art. With mermaids, an evil collector of curiosities, a hero cat, an extraordinary theme park, and twists and turns aplenty, there is something for all fantasy adventure lovers—though some of the twists are abrupt, and the conclusion feels rushed. Vietnamese American Trot’s grandfather’s dementia is mentioned when Trot uses it to explain why he is talking about mermaids.

Mesmerizing artwork carries an exciting rescue mission.