(from the book jacket)
Who is the aquanaut? Ever since her father was lost at sea, Sophia has been moping around Aqualand, a marine theme park. But Sophia's world is turned upside down when an 'aquanaut' breaks into the park research lab.
To her amazement, Sophia discovers that the aquanaut is not what it seems: inside lives a band of goofy sea creatures! And when they all realize that Aqualand is more sinister than advertised, Sophia is determined to help the aquanaut crew free the park's captive marine life before it's too late.
Sea creatures use an old diving suit to make motorized transport so they can get around on land. They want to get to Aqualand, where they think they will be safe. Sophia, who lost her father when his research vessel sank, feels alone and lost and wishes her uncle had more time for her. Her uncle is dealing with the loss of his brother the best he knows how. They all come together at Aqualand. The illustrations are wonderful: bold, bright, exciting. The story is fun and exciting too. It deals with the themes of loss and handling grief, of how you can lose sight of what is important, of family, and of the ethics of places like Aqualand that keep sea creatures in cages and make them perform for human entertainment. But it is told with humor. The sea creatures manning the diving suit are funny and have great personalities. And you grow to care about Sophia as she learns to live in a world without her father where she never seems to quite fit in. I liked this one a lot and am going to go find myself a copy of Santat graphic novel Sidekicks right away.
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