- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Adventure
The Aquanaut
Still grieving her father, lost at sea, Sophia mopes around the marine park he built, until an 'aquanaut', a diving suit secretly piloted by four goofy sea creatures, breaks into the lab. Together they set out to free the park's captive animals in a warm, funny, big-hearted graphic novel from Dan Santat.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length256 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Adventurous
- Exciting
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Ever since her father was lost at sea, Sophia has drifted, unhappy and adrift, around Aqualand, the marine theme park her dad and uncle dreamed up together. Then her world turns upside down when an aquanaut, a battered diving suit, breaks into the park's research lab, and Sophia discovers that inside it lives a crew of four gloriously goofy sea creatures piloting the suit as one. As she gets to know her unlikely new friends, Sophia realises that Aqualand has drifted far from her father's vision into something darker, a place that puts profit above the marine life it was meant to celebrate. Determined to put things right, Sophia and the aquanaut crew hatch a plan to free the park's captive animals before it's too late. From Caldecott Medalist and National Book Award winner Dan Santat comes a whimsically adventurous, deeply felt graphic novel about grief, family, friendship and standing up for the natural world.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
An adventure graphic novel for 8-12s that reads independently and hooks reluctant readers with its humour and art. It touches on a parent's death and animal captivity, so a sensitive reader may want an adult nearby, and its craft gives it genuine adult appeal.
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- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: grief, death of parent, animal harm.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Animal lovers
- Graphic novel fans
- Environmental themes
Avoid if
- Sensitive to parent loss
- Wants light fun
Particularly good for children who are…
- Bereavement
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The reveal that the aquanaut is secretly steered by four hilarious sea creatures working together is a brilliant surprise, and their plan to free the trapped animals turns into a proper adventure. It's funny and exciting, but Sophia's story about missing her dad gives it real feeling too.
- Talking to animals
- Making a difference
- Adventure and freedom
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
Dan Santat wraps big themes, losing a parent, grief, and how we treat animals, inside a funny, gorgeously drawn adventure that never feels heavy. The heavy visual support makes it a magnet for reluctant readers, and the environmental heart gives you plenty to talk about together.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Shared humour
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
About the author & illustrator
Dan Santat.
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