Fabien Cousteau

I did have the pleasure of reading the first book in this series, but that is by no means necessary before diving into this one.

The authors dive off into the undersea (and a bit on land and ice too) of the arctic. The novel begins with a wonderful hook as it starts back in history with an ship, which was stuck in the ice and the crew didn't survive. From here, it races into more present day and an expedition up to the arctic with a few small adventures along the way.

The comic illustrations are nicely done, which is surprising considering the source. That end deserves a big thumbs up, flows well and offers everything it should.

The tale itself covers a large range as all sorts of creatures are discovered, shown in illustrated form, and accompanied by many details concerning everything from physical aspects to living habits. For sea life friends, there is a ton of useful information...and even involves creatures not every one has heard about. There are even extra tidbits about igloo building, inuit lifestyles and even other interesting facts. So, on the science and information end, this book is a gem.

As a graphic novel, it is an interesting attempt to bring across the information in a way young readers can connect with. The information is brought across in an understandable form, and with the graphics, it is eye-catching. Unfortunately, it didn't grab completely, though. While the first hook is great, it drops completely away. The explores make interesting discoveries and learn a lot, but there's very little drive to push any sort of plot forward. It becomes a travel with tons of interesting information...but just that. Which I found too bad because with a little more story and clear direction, even more reluctant readers might be really grabbed. Still, it is a nice non-fiction read and readers will learn tons about life in the arctic and under it.

I received a complimentary copy and found it fun to gaze through and learned quite a bit, too.… (plus d'informations)

With the bonus of being a graphic novel, this book tackles tons of sea life information and builds in an adventure along the way.

Famous explorer, Fabien Cousteau, invites his two young friends to join him on a high sea adventure as they head out to tag a great white shark. But the shark isn't the only thing they discover along the way.

Graphic novels are a huge hit with my kids, and I was excited to receive one which puts an educational twist in along the way. The book opens immediately with the strong message that sharks are endanger and gives one reason why. From there, it switches to the adventure itself. Starring Fabien Cousteau, two young boys accompany him and his crew out to the ocean. The adventure blows through, making sure the pacing stays high. All the while, information...very factual...accompanies the adventure and provides tons of facts and knowledge to the reader.

The illustrations are top notch and a treat to follow, but considering the illustrator, this isn't surprising. Fans of graphics will enjoy the book from this aspect alone.

While all of these wonderful aspects promise a great read, the information part is heavy. The constant stream of knowledge doesn't flow into the dialogue naturally, and the amount of text greatly outweighs that which is usually found in graphic novels. While kids who have a keen interest in learning more about sea life will enjoy this, others—and especially reluctant readers—might not stay engrossed in the pages.

Still, it's a great way to bring knowledge across to the reader and also provides some important, environmental issues.

I received a complimentary copy and am leaving my honest thoughts… (plus d'informations)