The Ocean Disaster

May 1, 2019
Dr. Cosmic takes his students on an underwater adventure using a specially designed underwater vehicle he calls a SKWID. McElligott explores the ocean depths in this fourth title in the Mad Scientist Academy series, STEM-friendly science fantasies reminiscent of Ms. Frizzle's Magic School Bus trips but with less text and a more modern approach. Sequential panels and occasional full-page illustrations, done with ink, pencil, and digital techniques, show red-haired, green-skinned Dr. Cosmic and his species-diverse students: a robot with pageboy hair, a bat-winged vampire, a zombie, a wolflike creature, something reptilian, and something faintly insectoid, characters first introduced in The Dinosaur Disaster (2015). His new assistant, Professor Fathom, is a dark-skinned mermaid with long black hair. Using student questions and an intriguing gadget they call a handbook that unfolds to offer encyclopedialike fast facts and interesting details, the author smoothly weaves solid information into his narrative. He describes sonar and echolocation; how animals get oxygen; food energy, producers and consumers, and the food web; phyto- and zooplankton; toothed and baleen whales; sperm whales and squid. There's even a reminder of the need for a clean-energy source for their vehicle: Its biofuel is made from seaweed. All these concepts become part of the story, making this tale a surprisingly well-constructed teaching vehicle. Endpaper sketches detail Dr. Cosmic's latest inventions. Information and entertainment in an appealing comic format. (more ocean organisms) (Graphic science fantasy. 6-9)

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July 1, 2019

Gr 1-3-The monsters of the Mad Scientist Academy are out on an adventure again, this time on the ocean. Dr. Cosmic is ready to show his students his latest invention, a squid-like submarine. With the assistance of an oceanographer, Professor Fathom, the monster students embark on a quest that will be educational and fun. With a focus on green energy and curiosity about ocean life, readers will learn about seaweed as a source of alternative fuel, as well as echolocation and the role of producers and consumers in the food web of the ocean ecosystem. Well-known children's author and illustrator McElligott's fourth installment follows the graphic novel design of it predecessors. The first-person narrative, set in cylindrical bubbles, flows naturally with the plot structure and stops occasionally to define terms. Each one of the characters is non-threatening and good natured, regardless of their unique monster feature. Although this picture book appears more suitable for second and third graders, it could find appeal with older readers and makes a great choice for a classroom unit on oceans. The muted illustrations rely on green variations and layers of blue to set off the art, which provides a sense of cohesion and offers details that are not present in the narrative. The back matter contains brief information on ocean animals. VERDICT An amusing, informational graphic novel-esque picture book that is easy to follow and will charm readers while teaching them about the ocean. Ideal for public and elementary school libraries.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA

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