So, in the original story, Trot (it's a nickname) is a little girl who lives by the ocean with her mother and a retired sea captain, Cap'n Bill. She has several adventures in strange places, sometimes accompanied by a little boy from Philadelphia named Button Bright, and eventually she and Cap'n Bill become citizens of Oz (her mother kind of fades out of the picture). In The Sea Fairies, she and Cap'n Bill are caught in a storm and think they will drown, but are rescued by mermaids, or sea fairies, who introduce them to the wonders of the ocean, including the marvelous sea serpent King Anko and the wicked Zog the Magician, whom they eventually defeat, leaving a human boy who's been adapted to live underwater and Cap'n Bill's long-lost brother to take over his kingdom.
In the graphic novel, Trot is a thoroughly modern Vietnamese-American girl who, with her cat Cap'n Bill, loves to surf. When her grandfather, who is suffering from dementia, has an accident, her busy mother restricts them both to the house but Trot sneaks out anyways and she and Cap'n Bill are caught up in a massive wave. They are saved from drowning by the Sea Sirens, who are in a great battle with the wicked Serpents, led by King Anko. After many small adventures, some sympathetic discussions with the Siren princess who also has difficulties with her mother, and the discovery of her grandfather who is also underwater, Trot and Cap'n Bill (who can talk thanks to the Sea Sirens) discover that the evil King Anko is actually just a boy, saved from drowning long ago and taking over from the original King Anko. He's not trying to attack the mermaids, he just wants games and interesting artifacts from the surface world. Having reconciled the two nations, Trot, Cap'n Bill, and her grandfather are rescued and, after reassuring her mother, imagine the future adventures they might have.
The art is lush and lovely, a thoroughly modern take that still pays homage to John R. Neill's work with elaborate hairdos, rich undersea life, and plump-cheeked children exploring the underwater world. The whole book retains the flavor of the original, with the slightly didactic air of Oz titles, the richly imagined fantasy worlds, and the cheerful optimism of the characters, even when things seem at their worst. The question is, will kids appreciate this? Or will they even notice? My guess is that, unless they know the original, they will miss pretty much all the references to it and, while they may find the book as a whole slightly odd, since it retains that 19th century flavor, the gorgeous art, humor, and interesting characters will hold their interest.
Verdict: I'd say to purchase if you have Oz fans, but it's unlikely that you do; rather, purchase for mermaid and graphic novel fans. This may not be an absolute necessity, but it's sure to find an audience and I look forward to additional titles in what promises to be a series.
ISBN: 9780451480163; Published June 2019 by Viking Children's Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library
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