Sea Sirens

L. Frank Baum was not a good storyteller: he didn't want kids to be worried, so as soon as any sort of conflict would arise in the plot, he had it instantly resolved. If the purpose of fairy tales is to teach us that dragons can be killed, Baum's stories are a particular failure, because the heroines don't get to fight, or even think up a possible solution. They lack all agency. Anything you like about the Wizard comes from the movie, not the book.

But this now, this is a thing of beauty. A modern California surfer girl and her fierce talking cat? That's the dream. The art is gorgeous, a little art nouveau, a little Arthur Rackham, a strong stylistic distinction between the world above and the one below. If you've seen Return of the show more Dapper Men you'll understand that Janet Lee is brilliant.

And the story. Amy Chu has taken Baum's work, updated it, made it interesting and relevant, given it cultural depth by connecting it to Vietnamese folklore. Modern surfer girl. Talking cat.

Together they have made something truly Wonderful.

Library copy. show less

I am an unrepentant Oz fan, so I was really excited to see a graphic novel inspired by one of his lesser-known characters, Trot, and her adventure The Sea Fairies. I thoroughly enjoyed it but... I find it very difficult to decide how to review it, especially for non-Oz fans.

So, in the original story, Trot (it's a nickname) is a little girl who lives by the ocean with her mother and a retired sea captain, Cap'n Bill. She has several adventures in strange places, sometimes accompanied by a little boy from Philadelphia named Button Bright, and eventually she and Cap'n Bill become citizens of Oz (her mother kind of fades out of the picture). In The Sea Fairies, she and Cap'n Bill are caught in a storm and think they will drown, but are show more rescued by mermaids, or sea fairies, who introduce them to the wonders of the ocean, including the marvelous sea serpent King Anko and the wicked Zog the Magician, whom they eventually defeat, leaving a human boy who's been adapted to live underwater and Cap'n Bill's long-lost brother to take over his kingdom.

In the graphic novel, Trot is a thoroughly modern Vietnamese-American girl who, with her cat Cap'n Bill, loves to surf. When her grandfather, who is suffering from dementia, has an accident, her busy mother restricts them both to the house but Trot sneaks out anyways and she and Cap'n Bill are caught up in a massive wave. They are saved from drowning by the Sea Sirens, who are in a great battle with the wicked Serpents, led by King Anko. After many small adventures, some sympathetic discussions with the Siren princess who also has difficulties with her mother, and the discovery of her grandfather who is also underwater, Trot and Cap'n Bill (who can talk thanks to the Sea Sirens) discover that the evil King Anko is actually just a boy, saved from drowning long ago and taking over from the original King Anko. He's not trying to attack the mermaids, he just wants games and interesting artifacts from the surface world. Having reconciled the two nations, Trot, Cap'n Bill, and her grandfather are rescued and, after reassuring her mother, imagine the future adventures they might have.

The art is lush and lovely, a thoroughly modern take that still pays homage to John R. Neill's work with elaborate hairdos, rich undersea life, and plump-cheeked children exploring the underwater world. The whole book retains the flavor of the original, with the slightly didactic air of Oz titles, the richly imagined fantasy worlds, and the cheerful optimism of the characters, even when things seem at their worst. The question is, will kids appreciate this? Or will they even notice? My guess is that, unless they know the original, they will miss pretty much all the references to it and, while they may find the book as a whole slightly odd, since it retains that 19th century flavor, the gorgeous art, humor, and interesting characters will hold their interest.

Verdict: I'd say to purchase if you have Oz fans, but it's unlikely that you do; rather, purchase for mermaid and graphic novel fans. This may not be an absolute necessity, but it's sure to find an audience and I look forward to additional titles in what promises to be a series.

ISBN: 9780451480163; Published June 2019 by Viking Children's Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

Stunning art that melds art nouveau style with hyper-realistic faces. A modern undersea adventure with mermaids and coral snakes and fanciful repurposed trash balloons and a cat who enjoys surfing. Very imaginative, love that it calls back to L. Frank Baum, but that it's also grounded in a modern kid with a scurrilous cat and a forgetful grandfather. Neat!

A cute middle grade novel about a Vietnamese American surfer girl named Trot who is accidentally engulfed in a big wave and cast underseas with her trusty cats. What she discovers is a fantastical palace ruled by mermaids, when her trusty kitty, Cap'n Bill, fends off some dastardly serpents, the mermaids welcome the unlikely duo. At first Trot is apprehensive about staying underwater too long, she cant leave her grandfather alone for too long and her mother is at work, but soon she is having too much fun with her new friends. That is until disaster strikes! Cap'n Trot's services will once again be needed to take care of the serpents that threaten the realm. Cute, whimsical, but not terribly action packed. It's fun and I think younger show more teens will be intrigued. show less

diverse middlegrade graphic novel (Vietnamese American with grandfather suffering from dementia/forgetfulness has underwater adventure/dream after a surfing accident with her sidekick cat with one good eye, Cap'n Bill)

absolutely beautiful illustrations; love the flowy blouses/dresses and the rest of the siren costumes. Love the representation of minority and differently abled characters, love the strong personality of the cat.
Though the main character is in middle school, this book would also be appropriate for younger kids (2nd grade or even younger, if they can read it/have it read to them, especially if they have aging grandparents)

Beautiful illustrations accompanied by a quick, simple fantastical tale. I wish stopping war was that easy. I was so expecting Clia's mom to use military force anyway.

[rating from personal enjoyment]

Beautiful illustrations accompanied by a quick, simple fantastical tale. I wish stopping war was that easy. I was so expecting Clia's mom to use military force anyway.

[rating from personal enjoyment]