Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This new entry in the TOON line of emerging-reader comics may be the most sophisticated yet, spinning a variation on Hawaiian folktales about the shape-shifter shark god, Kamohoalii, and his son, Nanaue. After a young woman is rescued from drowning by a handsome stranger, they fall in love and have a son. Before the boy is born, though, the man reveals his true self by flaring gills, sprouting fins, and diving back into the sea but not before leaving a cape and a cryptic utterance to be remembered by. The boy grows up, eating everything in sight and pranking the local fisherfolk to no end. His mischievousness goes a bit too far one day, though, and the villagers chase him off a cliff, right into the fate his father prepared for him. Johnson's beautiful graphic style recalls, of all things, Gilbert Hernandez' early Palomar comics, with zippy figures set against equatorial backgrounds distinguished by a few key features a waterfall and fruit tree here, a tidal pool and coral reef there. The crafty panel layouts plunge into a couple of full-bleed splash pages with all the exhilaration of a high dive. Although simple enough to keep brand-new and below-level readers in tow and strengthen their vocabulary with contextual clues this charming and playful Hawaiian fable will reveal deeper layers to more intuitive readers.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Maritime cultures around the world have tales of otherworldly beings who take human spouses, some malevolent, some benevolent, and some too alien for human concepts to apply. In this variation, a Hawaiian woman named Kalie catches the eye of a handsome young man. It is only after their love produces the boy Nanaue that Kalie learns that her strange suitor is none other than the Shark King, a polymorphic being of great power. The Shark King, concerned for the future of his son, abandons his wife to build a refuge for Nanaue, leaving his wife with an unsatisfactory explanation and an odd but endearing boy. As Nanaue grows, he will be faced with a choice: remain with his human mother, isolated from society, or embrace his father's heritage and seek his fortunes under the sea. The Shark King is straightforward but engaging, led by Johnson's standout, classically influenced art. Ages 4-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-3-A retelling of a traditional Hawaiian tale about Kamohoalii, a shape-shifting shark god. A young woman named Kalei falls in love with a mysterious man who rescued her from a shark attack. They marry and move to a cottage by the sea where they met. The night before their child is born, the man tells her that he must go where he can "protect" his son, as it is not safe for him in the world. As he starts to grow scales and fins while escaping to the water, Kalei realizes that her husband is the Shark King. The baby is born, and Kalei names him Nanaue. He grows up to be a normal, happy child except for two things: he has a shark mouth growing out of his back and a voracious appetite that is never satisfied. Eventually, Nanaue is faced with danger in the world and must go to the one place where he can be safe-the sea. The story is broken up into easily digestible chapters. The muted primary color palette complements the simple text and the graphic art. There is a clear progression of the story that is facilitated by the page layout, but the fact that not every panel is displayed in the same format creates good variety. Kids will enjoy this simple yet mysterious story.-Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Part graphic novel, part myth, and part beginning reader, the story tells of the Shark King, a shape shifter who falls in love with and marries a mortal woman. On the night before the birth of their son, Nanaue, the woman learns of her husband's true identity when he returns to the sea, insisting that he must leave in order to protect their child. As predicted by the Shark King, Nanaue's aquatic gifts (along with the mark on his back that morphs into snapping jaws when he's provoked) make living among mortals a struggle. Sharks, superpowers, and the comic-panel format will initially lure in readers, but the subtext of bullying, parental separation, and self-discovery will stay with them long afterward. The characters' rounded black outlines convey strong energy and emotion, while the panels and spreads feature a lush, colorful Hawaiian setting. The Hawaiian names have clear pronunciation guides, and parents and teachers will find tips for using comics with kids at the back of the book. An "About the Author" contains brief source information. julie roach (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The Shark King's deadly son gets an extreme makeover in this version of a traditional tale from Hawaii. Born to a loving human woman, Nanaue is a happy child (rather than the flesh-eating monster of yore) with a huge appetite and a jagged line on his back that sometimes opens into a snapping, toothy mouth. His mischievous nature soon leads him into trouble, and he dives off a cliff to escape angry villagers from whom he had been stealing fish. This unites him with his father--a huge shark who had taken human form to marry Nanaue's mother, Kalei, but returned to the sea on the night of his birth. Johnson presents a quickly told story in bright, fluidly drawn sequential panels of varying size and shape, with a mix of narrative and dialogue. Set against a rocky shoreline and underwater scenes teeming with sea life, his brown-skinned, lightly clad characters gesture and move with smooth naturalism, displaying both distinct personalities and expressions from comical to noble. A myth involving rampant anthropophagy transformed into a lightly sketched tale of parent-child bonding. (Graphic folktale. 7-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
