A charming illustrated adventure under the sea.
In this debut graphic novel for children, a young plesiosaur must undertake a dangerous quest for the sake of her secret homeland.
Deep beneath Loch Ness, a tunnel leads to a forgotten world: the Hidden Loch, “home to many aquatic creatures, several thought to be extinct or mythical.” Isolated from Earth’s other waters, the inhabitants rarely leave their idyllic realm, fearing the hostile humans, or “drywalkers.” The submerged society is led by the “paddle giants” (plesiosaurs); occasionally, the reigning matriarch will venture “into Loch Ness to gather important information about the outside world,” a process called “arcking.” Nessandra, granddaughter of the current matriarch, Granmama Saurus, can’t wait until it’s her turn to arck—but then tragedy strikes when a drywalker’s harpoon kills the beloved leader. Four years later, nervous about her first arck ceremony, Nessandra sneaks alone into Loch Ness, where a sinister submarine from the Institute of Cryptozoology snares her in a net. She’s shocked when a drywalker frees her, leaving loch elder Gran Beryx, who followed her, in the other humans’ clutches. In order to save Beryx and keep the Hidden Loch from discovery, Nessandra must embark on a perilous rescue mission. Luckily, she has company: her adopted mermaid sister, Allura; squid friend Krakey; and excitable electric eel Zapp. Can the four preserve their home? And are the drywalkers all evil? Maddux-White’s story may be a straightforward “journey to knowledge” tale, but it’s fast-paced and fun; yet the real star is the art. St. Aubin’s character design is delightful and expressive, full of undulating, floaty lines that reinforce the watery setting and sharp edges that bring the players into the foreground. The book’s panel layout varies from insets to two-page splashes but is always easy to follow. Garcia’s candy-colored palette echoes the brightness of a Saturday morning cartoon: vivid shades of blue and green infuse the underwater scenes with light and tranquility. The loch creatures sport many hues, including purple, yellow, turquoise, orange, brown, and black (although the drywalker cast is mostly white). A brief glossary at the end provides useful information about the real-life marine animals represented: some long extinct, others “living fossils” like the coelacanth and lungfish.
A charming illustrated adventure under the sea.Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9991709-1-5
Page Count: 156
Publisher: Penny-Farthing Productions
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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