Squidtoons

July 2, 2018
Kwan and Song introduce young readers to common and not-so-common ocean creatures in this comics-style volume. The creators communicate knowledge about sea life with colorful but largely abstract depictions and helpful infographics. Along the way, they include occasional jokes (a squid disguising itself with a fake moustache) and quirky asides (depicting weedy sea dragons as soldiers, since both use camouflage). Though the format helps to make the scientific information accessible, the volume lacks cohesion. Of the 29 distinct chapters, 19 are straightforward anatomies of sea life, while the other 10 explore ocean life processes (the salmon life cycle) and other ocean studies (how music affects human perceptions of sharks). Each piece has much to offer readers, but the mix makes for a disjointed whole. Ages 7–12.