Sea Sirens
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Dive into this visually stunning, middle-grade graphic novel about a spunky Vietnamese American surfer girl and her cantankerous talking cat who plunge into a fantasy world of oceanic marvels . . . and mayhem!
Trot, a Vietnamese American surfer girl, and Cap'n Bill, her cranky one-eyed cat, catch too big a wave and wipe out, sucked down into a magical underwater kingdom where an ancient deep-sea battle rages. The beautiful Sea Siren mermaids are under attack from the Serpent King and his slithery minions--and Trot and her feline become dangerously entangled in this war of tails and fins.
This beautiful graphic novel was inspired by The Sea Fairies, L. Frank Baum's "underwater Wizard of Oz." It weaves Vietnamese mythology, fantastical ocean creatures, a deep-sea setting, quirky but sympathetic main characters, and fast-paced adventure into an imaginative, world-building story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Middle-schooler Trot lives in Huntington Beach, Calif., and loves nothing more than surfing with her cat, Cap'n Bill, while her grandfather fishes nearby. Trot's youth and Grandpa's dementia put the pair in the position of watching out for each other while Trot's mother is at work. When a massive wave knocks Trot and Bill deep underwater, they become accidental heroes of a skirmish between a group of Sea Sirens (merfolk) and large, talking Serpents. Given abilities to breathe and communicate underwater, Trot and Bill are invited to visit the Sea Siren kingdom where wonders await. While the story is based on The Sea Fairies by L. Frank Baum, it is impossible to avoid another, favorable comparison to a different fantasy world, that of Little Nemo in Slumberland, which seems a clear inspiration to both the fanciful story and art. Bright, densely detailed illustrations by Lee (Return of the Dapper Men) present the undersea world as a confectionary delight for the eyes, populated by strange characters of various species, marvelous costumes, and mysterious architecture, while Chu (Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death) keeps the tone light, the stakes low, and the charm high. Sweet without being saccharine, this slight magical adventure feels timeless, optimistic, and fun. Ages 8 12.
