Review by Booklist Review
In Lu's richly evocative illustrations, shadowy forms move through dim waters around a diver who ventures into "inky depths" that initially seem lifeless but quickly turn out to be anything but. First, a headlamp illuminates fish hiding in the crags of a reef from a prowling moray eel. That same dim light reveals fluorescent corals glimmering in the shadows and also attracts smaller swimmers from the darker reaches, drawing a dramatic rush of manta rays that feed on them. After turning off the lamp for a moment to reveal a swirling constellation of bioluminescent plankton, the diver swims for the moonlit surface, and the lamp beam falls on the immense flanks of a cluster of sperm whales hanging vertically in sleep. Beneath a series of artfully fitted gatefold flaps, Lu expands on her simply phrased reactions to each new wonder by identifying the creatures swimming in and out of view while adding, for instance, comments about the "mucus sleeping bag" parrotfish make each night for protection or about how tiny zooplankton rise each night to feed and then retreat below in "one of the greatest migrations on the planet." "The world of the night sea," Lu writes, "is like a beautiful dream," and readers who accept this lyrical invitation to join her there will feel likewise.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
A figure stands on the edge of a boat (on the title-page spread) and then dives into the sea, a luminous, full moon shining brightly in the background. Once in the sea, the diver's headlamp leads the way. At a coral reef, "batfish and triggerfish find safe places to rest at night in the holes, caves, and cracks...a reef is like an underwater hotel." We learn that parrotfish make a sleeping bag-like "gooey cocoon" constructed from mucus they produce in their glands. When the diver dares to turn off the headlamp, bioluminescent plankton appear like "a constellation of stars." Lu guides readers on a journey revealing a variety of life thriving in a wondrous world. The evocative mixed-media illustrations, mostly rendered in grays with sprinklings of color, leave readers with the distinct feeling of being in unfamiliar territory. The book is bound horizontally; rather than left and right pages, spreads are composed of pages above and below the gutter, creating a below-the-surface perspective. The innovative bookmaking also features heavy-stock pages, many of which include elegantly incorporated flaps providing factual information. Lu has produced a beautiful exploration of the "inky depths" -- a book to dive into again and again. Joan YolleckNovember/December 2024 p.114 (c) Copyright 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
Catch a glimpse of the eerie beauty of the night sea. By the light of a full moon, a scuba diver, seen in silhouette, hovers over the water before jumping in. The diver's elongated shape drifts through the darkened seascape, a ray of light from a headlamp cutting through the shadowy underworld. Capturing the quiet vastness of the ocean, Lu employs dark blue tones to depict a realm that may appear calm and quiet yet is full of movement. As readers turn the pages of this vertically oriented book, each atmospheric spread reveals another breathtaking wonder: from enormous manta rays with "gaping mouths" to tiny, bioluminescent plankton. The spare, inquisitive text complements this hazy dreamworld: "I shine my light and wait to see who will come to me." The beam of the flashlight provides a sharp focus against the dark blue sea life, with lift-a-flap panels offering thought-provoking facts (e.g., parrotfish bed down in protective cocoons that they create out of goo). Returning to the surface, the diver swims through a pod of sleeping sperm whales, suspended upright like giant floating stones. Though many children fear the dark, Lu makes clear that there's nothing to be afraid of here--this is a moving journey into the unknown. A fascinating, poetic tour.(Informational picture book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
