Summary: Unable to rely on the adults in her storm-ravaged seaside town, a young girl must protect a colony of magical seahorse-like creatures she discovers in the coral reef... A heartfelt story about learning to be a guardian to yourself and those you love. When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a big storm, Lana remembers how much she's missed the ocean--and the strong, reassuring presence of her aunt. As Lana explores the familiar beach, she discovers something incredible: a colony of Aquicorns, small magical seahorse-like creatures that live in the coral reef. Lana rescues an injured Aquicorn and cares for it with the help of her aunt, who may know more about these strange creatures than she's willing to admit. But when a second storm threatens to reach the town, choices made many years ago about how to coexist with the sea start to rise to the surface. Lana realizes she will need to find the strength to stand on her own, even when it means standing up to the people who she has always relied on to protect her.
Unable to rely on the adults in her storm-ravaged seaside town, a young girl must protect a colony of magical seahorse-like creatures she discovers in the coral reef.
From the Eisner Award-winning author of The Tea Dragon Society and Princess Princess Ever After comes AQUICORN COVE, a heartfelt story about learning to be a guardian to yourself and those you love.
When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a big storm, Lana remembers how much she's missed the ocean--and the strong, reassuring presence of her aunt. As Lana explores the familiar beach, she discovers something incredible: a colony of Aquicorns, small magical seahorse-like creatures that live in the coral reef. Lana rescues an injured Aquicorn and cares for it with the help of her aunt, who may know more about these strange creatures than she's willing to admit. But when a second storm threatens to reach the town, choices made many years ago about how to coexist with the sea start to rise to the surface. Lana realizes she will need to find the strength to stand on her own, even when it means standing up to the people who she has always relied on to protect her.
"Highly recommended for all-ages graphic novel collections, especially those where O'Neill's earlier works are popular." - SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)
Unable to rely on the adults in her storm-ravaged seaside town, a young girl must protect a colony of magical seahorse-like creatures she discovers in the coral reef... A heartfelt story about learning to be a guardian to yourself and those you love. When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a big storm, Lana remembers how much she's missed the ocean--and the strong, reassuring presence of her aunt. As Lana explores the familiar beach, she discovers something incredible: a colony of Aquicorns, small magical seahorse-like creatures that live in the coral reef. Lana rescues an injured Aquicorn and cares for it with the help of her aunt, who may know more about these strange creatures than she's willing to admit. But when a second storm threatens to reach the town, choices made many years ago about how to coexist with the sea start to rise to the surface. Lana realizes she will need to find the strength to stand on her own, even when it means standing up to the people who she has always relied on to protect her.
It's been a few years since Lana has been back to the coastal village she used to call home, where her aunt lives and her mother is buried. After a big storm, she and her father go to help with cleanup, and Lana rescues a small, injured aquicorn. While caring for it, her aunt reveals that there's a whole colony of them living in the reef, and Aure, their leader, is an old friend of Aunt Mae's. O'Neill's distinctive, gorgeous pastel-colored artwork, easily guiding the reader between day, night, and underwater, is perfect in this setting, where aquatic unicorns coexist with a fishing village and a strong town leader can forge a friendship with the gentle, elegant caretaker of the creatures under the sea. There's a strong message of conservation throughout the story, which is particularly poignant in this age of increasingly severe storms and the deterioration of reefs and oceans. O'Neill finds a lovely balance between enchanting fantasy and realistic exploration of community, grief, loss, and hope for the future.--Kristina Pino Copyright 2018 Booklist
Kirkus Book Review
O'Neill's third solo graphic novel delivers an eco-feminist message with her signature gentleness and warmth.Lana and her dad haven't been back to their seaside hometown since her mother died during a storm. After yet another storm hits the cove, however, the duo return from the city to help clean up the small town and see Lana's aunt Mae. Visiting the beach for the first time in years, Lana is awed to discover a colony of Aquicornsmagical sea creatures that as babies look like sea horses and when grown look like winged mer-unicorns. Lana soon learns that the community's overfishing and use of plastic nets is affecting the tempestuous weather, destroying the cove's reef, and slowly killing the colony of Aquicorns. As another storm brews, Lana learns that her community's adults have been willfully ignorant of their destructive way of life, and she takes it upon herself to convince her aunt and their community to create a sustainable and harmonious future. O'Neill's art is soft and expressive, with a bright, warm color palette and lush landscapes. Lana has peachy skin and red hair, Aunt Mae has brown skin and black hair, and her small community is full of diverse skin tones and hints of diverse attraction.Readers will eagerly dive into O'Neill's latest world. Enchanting. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Author notes provided by Syndetics
K. O'Neill is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning illustrator and graphic novelist from New Zealand. They are the author of Princess Princess Ever After , Aquicorn Cove, The Tea Dragon series and Dewdrop , all from Oni Press. Their books reflect their interest in tea, creatures, things that grow, and the magic of everyday life.
TextPublisher: Portland, OR : Oni Press, 2018Description: 90 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cmContent type: 
Graphic Novel