Another hit in the Science Comics series, "Deep-Sea Creatures: Adapting to the Abyss" has plenty of fun and slightly spooky facts for kids to, pardon the pun, <i>dive</i> into. Picture-wise, Mike Lawrence strikes a cartoony balance for his main protagonists, with humanesque eyes and expressions for the seahorses like Charlie and Ryder, then skews more to the realistic proportions for the animals they encounter on their "edutainment" tour. I think it's a perfect balance between the more realistic illustrations of Joe Flood in the Science Comics entries about sharks and dinosaurs, but more grounded than the Andy Hirsch style you see in dogs and cats, where the animals are practically Disney-fied. Since the subject matter straddles more fearsome animals that are lesser known, and leans into the idea that these creatures look "scary," I think this is the best remedy for a child friendly introduction to them in a way that is thrilling but not nightmare inducing. The fact that all these terrifying creatures in the plot are friendly (with the exception of a bullying lamprey who acts as a minion to the competition) is another point that the graphic novel is seeking to be accessible to children who may show trepidation about looking at photo realistic pictures of a vampire squid or anglerfish.

The writing is also great in providing a plot and characters to the graphic novel. Some Science Comics lean a little heavy on doling out information, but this one has an entertaining framework of a seahorse on his day off just after he gave birth to a litter of seahorse babies, when one of his kids tags along to "Larry's Fearsome Fish of Finland" vacation. The father, Charlie, and his son, Ryder, have small character arcs as Ryder is afraid to go out on his own, since he's only twenty minutes old, and Charlie confides in him that seeing scary sea monster films helps him overcome his own fears. This way, readers are given incentive to see Ryder explore and interact with the many sea creatures on the tour, as learning about them helps give him confidence. It also provides a bit of tension as Larry the sarcastic fringehead and tour guide is struggling with business, and you want to see his tour succeed (and his many friends get raises!) against the more ruthless Phil. Who is another sarcastic fringehead and takes the sarcasm the extra mile.

The end of the graphic novel includes an audition reel, sort of like an end credits sting, including the animals they couldn't find a reason to fit into the story. I think it's a cute ending, but the original one where Ryder's recommendation for "edutainment tours" helps Larry keep his business literally afloat is the stronger end. Also shout out to the "Alien" movie reference/Joseph Conrad deep sea tale by calling Larry's ship the Nostromo. A really neat hidden gem for the adult readers who also enjoy Science Comics.

Deep-Sea Creatures is a fun story that many will enjoy. It is very informative; readers will get exposure to things in the deep that they probably never encountered before in an enjoyable story exploring the deep-sea.

A fun little story that gives children a look at the weird but wonderful creatures of the deep. Children will love the story and seeing all the cool creatures. Even I learned a lot that I didn't know before. I did love the horror movie pun names as well.

Another wonderful installment in the Science Comics series. These books are always some of my favorite nonfiction graphics! "Edu-tainment" at its finest!

This installment hasan engaging storyline, a world of deep sea creatures to explore, and just the right amount of humor sprinkled throughout. A must buy for elementary libraries!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Lots and lots of information. Science Comics are some of my favorite text. It is tons of scientific information that doesn't dumb down the vocabulary, but at the same time it is completely accessible for all readers.

4 stars

This one is AWESOME! Elementary students will absolutely devour this title. If you're a teacher, librarian, or parent whose child enjoys spooky things but you're not ready to throw them into the world of horror this one is perfect. It explores all of the deep sea creatures and gives some good spookiness without any violence. I love that it's written as a story of fish on a deep sea creature tour and yet weaves in engaging facts about each creature. This is one of those books that shows us how FUN non-fiction can be. Though there are definitely parts that are over his head, my almost 6-year-old does not want to stop reading this at night and immediately asks for more. I highly recommend adding it to any public library collection, elementary classroom or school library, or as a gift to a science, spooky, or sea-loving kiddo!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

First off, I am a big fan of the Science Comics series so I was absolutely thrilled to be able to review this copy of their newest one about deep-sea creatures. This one follows a seahorse and his son as they go on a chills and thrills edutainment tour of the deep. Not only do we learn so much about the deep and its creatures, but we also get a really good storyline about fear and how to be brave/face our fears especially our fears of the ocean. I loved learning about all the different creatures through the fun storyline and engaging illustrations! Readers will be sure to love this informative and fun graphic novel just as much as all the others in the series. Can't wait to add it to my school library in the Spring!

Educational comics are like gifts that keep giving! It's an opportunity to blend the art of a graphic novel with storytelling and a learning component. Science comics nails this combo with Deep-Sea Creatures. I love that it reads like a story but it's actually teaching you some things about deep sea life that you may not have known. Definitely recommend to readers of all ages!

Another amazing title from science comics. Deep Sea Creatures knocks learning out of the park as we follow a seahorse and his son on a edutainment tour of the deep ocean. There is a little bullying in the story, but it all resolves peacefully. The fabled scary creatures of the deep turn out to be real softies for the tour, but explained in good detail. There is a ton of information that the older kids will enjoy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this awesome arc.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Books for the digital arc.
The Science Comics series never gets old, and this one continues the fun filled delivery of information. The reader journeys into the deep sea abyss with a father and son seahorse, and the captain who takes them on a tour of the deep sea in his boat. Along the way they learn about remarkable marine life and the adaptations they have made to their habitat. Story moves fast with dialogue bubbles and bright illustrations. The last pages describe the unique sea creatures that weren't in the story, and provides a satisfying conclusion.

My students are obsessed with the deep sea (especially after we read a picture book about anglerfish). I can’t wait to purchase a copy of this comic book for the elementary library I work at! This book is very informative and teaches key science concepts. Not only that, there is humor that gets intertwined into the story. There are a few deep sea creatures I had never heard of. The art in the comic book is colorful and engaging. My students are going to love this one!

What a stellar book! The information is detailed without being overwhelming, and the illustrations are so engaging. This book would be great for elementary and middle schoolers and is a great addition to this series.

Another great addition to the science comics series. Learn more about the deep sea (and seahorse procreation) with this cute title. I love having titles like these available for young readers in the library.

This series is so popular with my young and middle grade readers that I was excited to read this title before them! I understand the draw to these books as this was informative and funny and the illustrations are great. As Charlie the seahorse tries to teach his son, Ryder, how not to be afraid of the ocean, they take a trip to the deep and see some truly scary-looking, but ultimately friendly, denizens of the deep. I loved all the sea creatures and learned about a couple new ones, including the enormous oarfish, and still can't get over the monkey lips of a sperm whale! I look forward to recommending this book to all my young nature lovers this fall. Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

Like all the other books in this series Deep-Sea Creatures does a great job at providing information to kids in an easily digestible and understandable format. I really appreciated that it was a father seahorse showing his offspring around the sea and introducing them to all sorts of fun and interesting animals. The explanation about ambergris was especially funny as it was followed up by "Humans are so weird.." We all know the gross-but-true books are big circulators as well so this will fit right in!
As always my library and my kids really enjoy this series and this is another great one to add to the collection. We are very excited for it to come out next year!