Under the Sea

5/31/2019

Sea Sirens: A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure
by Amy Chu & Janet K. Lee

California surfer Trot spends her summer days with Cap’n Bill, a one-eyed rescue cat wearing a tiny red life vest who joins her on the surfboard and her Vietnamese grandfather who is in the early stages of dementia and sometimes wanders off.

One day Trot and Cap'n Bill sneak away to catch a big wave. Her board capsizes, sending them into a magical world in the briny deep. When sea serpents threaten a bevy of lovely sea sirens, Cap'n Bill lashes out, sending away the serpents.

In gratitude, the seahorse-riding sirens give Trot and her cat the ability to breathe underwater and transport the duo back to their mother Queen Aquareine and her opulent kingdom, or more accurately, queendom. They are honored with a lavish celebration.

A special guest arrives for the festivities: grandpa! He slipped into the ocean and wandered into this enchanted aquatic paradise.

Cap'n Bill revels in the food and the adulation, Trot thrills at surfing on the backs of rays. And granddad enjoys viewing aquatic life. Then trouble strikes. Grandfather is kidnapped by the King of the Serpents. It's up to Trot and her mermaid friend to rescue grandpa and avert a war between the sirens and serpents.

Sea Sirens: A Trot and Cap'n Bill Adventure is replete with homages to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There's the faithful pet who accompanies a girl on a fantastic journey, a traveler who arrives in a locality quite by accident and becomes its mythical and revered leader, a giant balloon that can traverses between two worlds, and a heartfelt "There's no place like home" ending.
It appears that there is more to the story. Trot has the precious pearl given to her by the queen and perhaps she may use it again. Stay tuned for the next adventure with this intrepid surfer and her one-eyed feline.

Note: Keep an eye on Cap'n Bill and his snarky attitude. He steals the show in more than one scene.

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s The Sea Fairies as well as Vietnamese folktales and fairy tales, Amy Chu has fashioned a remarkable comic. She breathes life into the story with imaginative characters and an interesting plot twist. Inclusion of Vietnamese dialog and folktale elements enrich this sumptuous tale.

Janet K. Lee's art is stunning. Innovative layout with full pages, insets, circles and angular lines burst beyond the confines of traditional rectangular panel configuration. Her art nouveau style is well suited to the story, giving it a classic feel. The gorgeous aqua-rich color palette and settings are magical.

More Underwater Adventures

Enchanting tales of girls who live underwater. Gorgeous art. Compelling storytelling. Answer the siren call and read these graphic novel adventures by award-winning creators David Wiesner, Donna Jo Napoli, and Metaphrog aka Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers.