Children of the Sea Vol. 1 by Daisuke Igarashi

Genre: Manga

Honors: None Found

Review: The first volume of Children of the Sea, introduces the reader to Ruka, Umi, and Sora.  Umi, a teen schoolgirl has a strange connection to the ocean but does not understand why.  When she was a child she saw what she believes to be a ghost fish that glowed in the fish tank.  Umi and Sora are teen boys that were born in the sea and feel most comfortable when in saltwater.  Ruka's father works at an experimental aquarium where Ruka meets Umi and Sora. There she also meets Jim, a man that has become a guardian to the two sea children.   Through the fantastic illustrations and dialogue this first book in the series introduces the unusual characters and draws the reader into a mysterious and beautiful underwater world.

Opinion: This is a great introduction to a very intriguing and creative story.  The illustrations are creative and expressive, and a special feature are the full color watercolors of a fantastical underwater world in the introduction.

Ideas: This is a great graphic novel for both males and females and may be a good introduction to graphic novels for reluctant readers.