Starred review from July 1, 2018
Gr 3-6-An enchanting and allegorical modern fairy tale with an environmentalist message. Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to visit her aunt Mae and help clean up after a bad storm. At the beach, Lana finds a hurt baby aquicorn (think: seahorse/unicorn combo) and gains the favor of the adult aquicorns in the cove by assisting it. Lana learns more about the magical beings who live in the coral reef, Mae's connection to them, and the factors that threaten both the reef and the humans' way of life in the village. Much of the book is devoted to Mae's backstory and her evolving relationship with Aure, the female humanoid guardian of the reef, and there are hints of romance here. O'Neill balances the protagonists well as young Lana also has a satisfying character arc and active role in the story as she copes with her mother's death. The illustrations feature a palette that's just a shade too beautiful and vibrant, which makes the aquicorns and Lana and Mae's quick acceptance of the fantastical seem more normal. VERDICT Highly recommended for all-ages graphic novel collections, especially those where O'Neill's earlier works are popular.-Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 15, 2018
O'Neill's third solo graphic novel delivers an eco-feminist message with her signature gentleness and warmth.Lana and her dad haven't been back to their seaside hometown since her mother died during a storm. After yet another storm hits the cove, however, the duo return from the city to help clean up the small town and see Lana's aunt Mae. Visiting the beach for the first time in years, Lana is awed to discover a colony of Aquicorns--magical sea creatures that as babies look like sea horses and when grown look like winged mer-unicorns. Lana soon learns that the community's overfishing and use of plastic nets is affecting the tempestuous weather, destroying the cove's reef, and slowly killing the colony of Aquicorns. As another storm brews, Lana learns that her community's adults have been willfully ignorant of their destructive way of life, and she takes it upon herself to convince her aunt and their community to create a sustainable and harmonious future. O'Neill's art is soft and expressive, with a bright, warm color palette and lush landscapes. Lana has peachy skin and red hair, Aunt Mae has brown skin and black hair, and her small community is full of diverse skin tones and hints of diverse attraction.Readers will eagerly dive into O'Neill's latest world. Enchanting. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11)
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July 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 It's been a few years since Lana has been back to the coastal village she used to call home, where her aunt lives and her mother is buried. After a big storm, she and her father go to help with cleanup, and Lana rescues a small, injured aquicorn. While caring for it, her aunt reveals that there's a whole colony of them living in the reef, and Aure, their leader, is an old friend of Aunt Mae's. O'Neill's distinctive, gorgeous pastel-colored artwork, easily guiding the reader between day, night, and underwater, is perfect in this setting, where aquatic unicorns coexist with a fishing village and a strong town leader can forge a friendship with the gentle, elegant caretaker of the creatures under the sea. There's a strong message of conservation throughout the story, which is particularly poignant in this age of increasingly severe storms and the deterioration of reefs and oceans. O'Neill finds a lovely balance between enchanting fantasy and realistic exploration of community, grief, loss, and hope for the future.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)