Oona (Oona #1)

A small heroine young readers will be happy to meet.

K-Gr 2-Deep in the ocean fantasy depths lives a mermaid. "Sweet, and a little bit salty," Oona has grown up curious and brave from her earliest years as a treasure hunter of the rift where land breaks away and waves collide in strong ocean currents. Watery images highlight plants, ocean creatures, and her repurposed treasures with shades of filtered light while Oona swims, her Black Afro at its fullest and tail swishing in graceful arcs with her sea otter best friend. Challenging the illuminated eyes watching below, Oona has found something better than common "keys, coins, buttons, and bottles." A sparkly crown rests amid lobster crates, rocks, and planks of sunken ships. Digital art reflects the fluid, dark depths of the deep ocean fissure and panicked faces of creatures caught in its grip, as the rift itself keeps watch over Oona's futile effort to grab the ultimate treasure. "You can keep your dumb crown," she shouts-"I quit!" With Oona's break from her hunt, images focus on the little mermaid isolated in small vignettes, as she tries to regain her "spark." A pair of found glasses becomes treasure-hunting goggles, and the scary rift is forgotten with the singing of friendly whales. VERDICT A recommended first purchase for all libraries and useful for social emotional learning, this title celebrates independence, self-confidence, and bravery to try the new even after defeat as Oona becomes aware of the true treasure in her personal effort.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX 

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Oona is a little mermaid who's the very definition of intrepid. She loves to hunt for deep sea treasure (which readers will recognize as humans’ lost and discarded items) with her sidekick, Otto the otter; in one funny scene, they chill on the ocean floor wearing chic human sunglasses that they’ve scavenged-cat eyes for Oona, aviators for Otto. But the big prize that Oona is after is an "extra sparkly" crown she’s spotted, wedged into a corner of the ocean. Does she have the patience and ingenuity to extract it? Despite DiPucchio's (Grace Goes to Washington) concise and sprightly text, the storytelling loses some of its drive as Oona's quest encounters requisite setbacks, and the life lesson wrap-up ("Because sometimes the best treasure in the world isn’t found. It’s made") feels unnecessary. But the digital illustrations by Figueroa (Sophie and Little Star) are a true wonder of the deep, with compositions worthy of full-length animated features, and a palette of radiant, translucent greens, blues, and magentas. Brown-skinned Oona, who wears a magnificent Afro studded with bioluminescent wisps, floats through the ocean exuding the kind of upbeat confidence that should have readers asking for more. Ages 4-8. 

Copyright 2020 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.