MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Captain Michel Revoy of the Miette Ocean Research vessel cries out across the roaring waves. His ship is going down! His brother Paul reaches for him as the ship suddenly lurches. Michel is trapped…

Five years later, Michel’s daughter Sophia now lives with her Uncle Paul. Ever since losing his brother he has devoted his life to his research, based at Aqualand, San Diego. Unfortunately his work leaves Sophia to neglect her school work, or not go at all. Her science teacher is breathing down her neck with a fail ready if Sophia doesn’t do well in the coming Science Fair.

At first she impresses her teacher with the promise of a visit from her famous uncle, but when he lets her down, she’s sure she’s doomed. At least until she gets another idea.

Only days before, Sophia met three ocean creatures in her uncle’s lab. They weren’t in tanks, they were inside a diving suit, making it walk and move like a human. The diving suit is from the wreck of the Miette and using a diary from the wreck of the Miette, the creatures inside have learnt of Aqualand – a mecca for sea creatures. Sophia is shocked at first, but then realises they can help with her Science Fair project.

She gives them a tour of Aqualand, but it’s not what they expected at all. Aqualand isn’t a haven for marine life. It’s an amusement park for humans. What’s even worse is a face to face encounter between the captain of the diving suit (a hermit crab called Sodapop) and his deepest fear from when he was young.

A desperate rescue mission throws Sophia in trouble and Uncle Paul’s research on the line. Are Aqualand and Marine Biologist Paul Revoy finished? Digging deep for courage, Captain Sodapop must face his fears and do the right thing to save them all.

By the brilliant Dan Santat, this graphic novel was 10 years in the making, and totally worth the wait. It begins with a devastating event and then continues with two threads of story, five years later.

• Sophia Revoy now lives with her uncle at Aqualand and isn’t doing so well at school.
• Three creatures who connected with Sophia’s father as his ship sank, arrive at Aqualand in a robot-like diving suit. 

The result is an exciting story of marine life both big and small, a man still grieving for his brother, and a young girl finding family and friends in the most unexpected places.

The Aquanaut is a perfect combination of fantastic artwork and gripping storyline. 

Author / Illustrator – Dan Santat

Age – 8+

Graphic Novel

(2022, Scholastic, Sea, Ocean, Sinking, Family, Uncle, Niece, Brothers, Loss, Obsession, Sealife, Amusement Park, Investors, Greed, Grief, Action, Killer Whale, Giant Squid, Escape, Freedom, Empathy, Graphic Novel, Blanket Octopus, Turtle, Hermit Crab, Diving Suit, Aquaman, Sea Creatures, Cousteau, Research)