Sea Sirens

A Trot & Cap'n Bill Adventure #1

by Amy Chu, Janet K. Lee (Illustrator)

Dive into this middle-grade graphic novel about a Vietnamese American surfer girl and her talking cat who plunge into a fantasy world of oceanic marvels . . . and mayhem!

Trot, a Vietnamese American surfer girl, and Cap'n Bill, her cranky one-eyed cat, catch too big a wave and wipe out, sucked down into a magical underwater kingdom where an ancient deep-sea battle rages. The beautiful Sea Siren mermaids are under attack from the Serpent King and his slithery minions--and Trot and her feline become dangerously entangled in this war of tails and fins.

This graphic novel was inspired by The Sea Fairies, L. Frank Baum's "underwater Wizard of Oz." It weaves Vietnamese mythology, fantastical ocean creatures, and a deep-sea setting.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Comics, Childrens, Adventure, Cats

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2019

About the author

Winner Bram Stoker Award, Gold Anthem Award. Writer for DC, Vertigo, Marvel, IDW and more, including: Poison Ivy, Ant-Man, Deadpool, Red Sonja, Green Hornet, Sensation Comics Wonder Woman, X-Files. KISS and DMC Comics. Cofounded Alpha Girl Comics, publisher of Girls Night Out and other comics. Frequent comic-con panel speaker and moderator.

Follow me on amychu.bluesky.social, @theamychu tiktok, @amy_chu instagram

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

L. Frank Baum was not a good storyteller: he didn't want kids to be worried, so as soon as any sort of conflict would arise in the plot, he had it instantly resolved. If the purpose of fairy tales is to teach us that dragons can be killed, Baum's stories are a particular failure, because the heroines don't get to fight, or even think up a possible solution. They lack all agency. Anything you like about the Wizard comes from the movie, not the book.

But this now, this is a thing of beauty. A modern California surfer girl and her fierce talking cat? That's the dream. The art is gorgeous, a little art nouveau, a little Arthur Rackham, a strong stylistic distinction between the world above and the one below. If you've seen Return of the Dapper Men you'll understand that Janet Lee is brilliant.

And the story. Amy Chu has taken Baum's work, updated it, made it interesting and relevant, given it cultural depth by connecting it to Vietnamese folklore. Modern surfer girl. Talking cat.

Together they have made something truly Wonderful.

Library copy.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl discovers a fairy realm at the bottom of the sea and has adventures, accompanied by her cat and her grandfather. Partially inspired by the relatively unknown book The Sea Fairies by L. Frank Baum, but also by Vietnamese tales, as well as the author's own imagination. So Cap'n Bill is now a cat rather than human character, and Trot's grandfather is dealing with senile dementia (or maybe Alzheimer's).

A little too simple for me, but probably will be appreciated by young readers.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Viking and Penguin Random House publishing for sending me this sweet book!!! I totally didn't expect to receive such a cool graphic novel and when it arrived I couldn't help but read it immediately!

It was such a fun adventure full of the love of family, pets, and discovery. I am totally on board for the next installment whenever it is due to be published! The artwork was so colorful and eye catching throughout and the story was one that warms your heart. I absolutely loved this!

I'll have a more in depth and coherent review for this eventually, but for now, Thank You! And it was a great book for the start of summer!

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars: ★★★★ 1/2
Sea Sirens is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a unique and wonderfully colored art-style, an immersive story, and a delightful cast of characters! The plot and beautiful illustrations keep you turning the page! Powerful themes of family and friendship, alongside adventure, are present all throughout Chu and Lee's spectacular graphic novel! This one is a must-read!

Sea Sirens follows Trot, whose a dedicated surfer girl, & her one-eyed cat Cap'n Bill who get taken to an underwater kingdom of Sirens & Serpents when powerful wave pushes them underwater!

READ THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL--ITS FANTASTIC!! 💖 I was looking forward to this one for months because the beautiful cover got me to add it to my TBR and the story inside is just as beautiful!

Trot loves surfing & is a surfer girl at heart! The story starts with her spending the day at the beach surfing and her grandfather enjoying fishing! But, her grandfather goes missing (due to his dementia) and she's heartbroken! Luckily he's found, but her workaholic mother tells her she can't go out to the beach without her, to ensure her grandfather's safety!

However, Trot doesn't let that stop her from surfing, so she finds a way to sneak out and when she & Cap'n Bill catch a bad wave they get thrust into the bottom of the ocean where Sirens and Serpents are in battle! Luckily, Cap'n Bill chases the serpents away! The Siren princess, Clia invites them to stay in her kingdom-- now Trot & Cap'n Bill are celebrated for their bravery (but mainly Cap'n Bill XD)!

The story continues with Trot & Cap'n Bill exploring the kingdom and learning more about the battle between Sirens & Serpents, and the history of the Queendom of the Sirens!

I don't want to spoil things, but there's a few plot twists that send Trot, Cap'n Bill, and Clia on a rescue mission!

The politics and world-building of the underwater kingdom were so beautifully explored and had so much depth--yet still left a bit of mystery that I can't wait to learn more about in future books!

Now onto the representation! This graphic novel mainly features Vietnamese representation! Trot herself is Vietnamese-American and her grandfather is Vietnamese! It was great to see the rep. explored through the use of language and elements of Vietnamese folklore/fairytales! The representation and culture is woven throughout the pages of this beautiful story!

The art itself is so unique! There's an element of watercolor and vibrant linework present throughout the whole graphic novel! I really paid attention to the artwork throughout each panel and was in awe at the stunning art that not only immersed me, but left me captivated! The design of the characters, settings, and color palette brought everything to life!

Sea Sirens ends on a wonderful note hinting at more to come and I can't wait!!

Sea Sirens by Amy Chu & Janet K. Lee is a beautiful and immersive graphic novel that's filled with adventure when Trot gets sucked into an underwater kingdom! From the story to artwork, themes, and so much more--this is a wonderful graphic novel that you don't want to miss!

There's so much I have left to say about this FANTASTIC graphic novel but pick it up!! Its wonderful! *Although I rated this 4.5 the reading experience/enjoyment is definitely at a 5!!!
*Full review to be posted:

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous art, imaginative story, uplifting ending. What more could you want?

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful graphic novel has the richness of color and the mashup of Vietnamese culture along with the sirens of the sea mythology and adds in a one-eyed surfing cat and a grandfather that has dementia. It's altogether lovely, funny, serious, family-oriented, culturally rich, etc. etc.

Trot likes to surf while her grandfather fishes from the dock. He goes missing one day because he forgets where he is. He's found, then Trot tries again to take him out but gets lost in the sea and is brought below with sirens and is celebrated by them. Even the grandfather enters this kingdom in which Trot helps make peace between the sea serpent group (run by a human boy) and the sirens.

It's not quite as creepy as Fish Girl, but has some of the same vibes, but a richness that is indescribable. Entirely thoughtful, imaginative, and original.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this art pops.

I'm sure there's a term to describe the organic, stylized lines Lee uses here. I love the mix of saturated color with detailed, delicate shapes.

As you'll see from the summaries, this is the story of a Vietnamese American surfer kid and their one-eyed surfing cat. When they find themselves under the ocean, the cat starts to speak so that the kid can understand. They meet undersea residents of various kinds.

It's a lovely kick-off to a series - I'm glad to see there's a sequel coming!
Highly recommend for upper elementary audiences.
Ownvoices.

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This richly illustrated, #ownvoices middle grade graphic novel draws on Vietnamese folk and fairy tales and a long-lost mermaid story, The Sea Fairies by L. Frank Baum. The underwater adventures star Trot, a California girl who loves to surf, her one-eyed, pirate-themed tabby cat, Cap'n Bill, Trot's Grandpa, who is forgetful and chronically gets lost, and fantastically beautiful, Art Nouveau-clothed mermaids who also happen to be ferocious warriors.

One fateful day, Trot has a surfing accident while her Grandpa naps at home, and splashes into a royal battle between two undersea kingdoms, serpents vs. the Sea Sirens led by Princess Clia. By luck Cap'n Bill, who surfs with Trot and was sinking fast, takes a last swipe with his last hissing breath at the snakes attacking the sirens and saves the day. The story moves quickly from there, from land to sea and back again, traveling through evocative blue to turquoise to dark black ocean settings as Trot uncovers more mysteries exploring the Sea Sirens' kingdom and the mysterious King of Serpents. The illustrations throughout are beautifully drawn, elegantly ornate, with hairstyles and fashions in the Asian undersea kingdom that Gustav Klimt would recognize. Young readers grades 3 and up will definitely clamour for more adventures with Trot and Cap'n Bill!

[Ken Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been a while since I read a Trot and Cap'n Bill adventure. Obviously the modernized version is very different from Baum's version, but the changes are welcome. The Asian twist is nice but the heart of the fairy tale adventure is still true to form

[Renegade Librarian Extraordinaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Not Fantastic or super memorable. But cute. Characters were mostly kind of dull, the dialogue read like something that had been translated, and the resolution was kind of... anticlimactic, I suppose. But still cute. A good concept I wish was executed better (because I DO love mermaids and cats and this should have been the ultimate story for me). But again, still cute. And pretty artwork!

p.s. The character of Cap'N Bill saved this one!

[Alina Karapandzich · Rating 5 out of 5]

So quirky and weird but really fun! I love the illustrations and I love the cat sidekick he's honestly incredible. Plenty of action and mystery but all delivered very quickly and succinctly. Good for like 4th grade and up.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated, charming story featuring a Vietnamese-American girl and her one-eyed cat on an undersea adventure with the sea sirens and their enemies, the sea serpents.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trot loves surfing. When she goes out in stormy waters with her cat, Cap'n Bill, they wipe out in the big waves. Trot is bonked on the head by her board and comes to in a fantastic underwater world under the care of the sea sirens who rescued her. The sea sirens have made it so they can breathe underwater, and Cap'n Bill can even talk. The sea sirens are incredibly thankful because Cap'n Bill scared off the evil Serpents. Surprisingly, Trot's grandfather also shows up, having followed Trot to the beach. The three land dwellers are amazed by the sea sirens queendom, and the sirens believe they may be the answer to their ongoing war with the Serpents. But Trot had snuck out of the house, Grandpa is not supposed to be out either because of his dementia, and they both are going to be in a heap of trouble when they get home so late. But who can resist exploring the amazing siren world and helping them with their troubles?

If you read the dedication page you'll see that Amy Chu dedicated this to the inspiration of L. Frank Baum, and there are small nods to Dorothy's adventure in Oz in this story. I like the grandfather/granddaughter aspect to the story going on, as well as dealing with Grandpa's increasing memory issues. He's a sweet guy and fun character. He also speaks Vietnamese frequently, which is transliterated on the page (and translated for English speakers). I like the inclusion of how immigrants frequently switch back and forth between their native language and English. It rings so true to life. And that isn't the only Vietnamese part of the story. The architecture and dress of the sea sirens is definitely influenced by traditional Vietnamese art styles. And I loved that. Speaking of artwork, it is beautiful. You are totally allowed to pick this up just to look at the illustrations. They are vibrant, imaginative, and well-deserving of a shiny sticker. (I'm looking at you, Caldecott.) Ok, back to characters. Cap'n Bill was a fun, snarky character (once he gets the ability to speak). Imagine what your cat would say to you with a sudden ability to talk. The sea sirens are probably the nicest sirens in literature. No singing sailors to doom here. They do fight sea snakes displaying their tough sides, but there is an unexpected twist in why the Serpents are invading the sirens' territory. Trot is a likable character. She does make mistakes, but she also forges peace in situations where it is needed, learn from her mistakes, and love her Grandpa even when he kind of annoys her. And readers can debate whether or not what she experienced was real or a result of the knock on the head. This was one of my favorite graphic novel reads of the year. I love having the Southeast Asian flavor to share with our Southeast Asian students. The fantasy adventure is fun and imaginative. I like the messages, and the nods to Oz. And I adore the artwork. Highly recommended!

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content or decency issues. The battle between the Serpents and the sirens is conveyed without much violence actually being shown. The worst injury on page is when Trot gets bonked on the head by her surf board, and that isn't very serious. Trot is disobedient at one point, but learns her lesson.

[Hal Schrieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look at the cover and TELL me this book isn't gorgeous. Delicious, bright sea-washed watercolor (digital watercolor?) and delightfully detailed creature-focused inkwork inspired by the early 20th century Arts and Crafts movement (lots of lanterns and flowers and twisting fishy bodies) make this fun to curl up with even if you're just looking at the pictures-- but it also offers a fantastical, out-of-this-world narrative arc perfect for mermaid fans, adventure-lovers, and cat fanatics.

Trot is a young Vietnamese-American kid in SoCal who loves to surf with her cat Capn Bill (yes, he surfs). She's at the beach every day after school, half-babysitting her granddad, who loves to fish but is frequently forgetful; his dementia often makes him believe he is still in Vietnam, or forget familiar people or settings for periods of time. When her grandfather wanders off one day while Trot is in the water, Mom bans surfing trips-- but independent Trot races to the beach anyway, with Granddad not far behind. When a big wave comes along, however, she and her cat are knocked far down into the ocean, right into the middle of a skirmish between the Serpents and the Sirens (the sirens resemble mermaids, with curling, seahorselike tails and immaculate, excitingly decorated hair). Cats terrify snakes, and so the serpents scatter, leaving Capn Bill a hero -- the sirens grant both land creatures the ability to breathe beneath the water, and invite them for a feast. The queen of their kingdom isn't especially pleased that they have been given the power to breathe underwater, but recognizes their right to stay as guests-- but things get more complicated when it turns out that Granddad has wound up in their city, too. When he ventures off on his own on the bottom of the sea, he is quickly captured by serpents who hold him captive.


The story is inventive, compelling, and fast-moving enough to capture the attention of middle-grade readers, and its dreamlike qualities don't really need to make sense for the story to work. Trot is plucky, smart, and makes friends quickly with Clia, who has her own problems with strict mothers. She also banters amusingly with Cap'n Bill, who, it turns out, can talk but not be understood by humans without magic (he likes mackerel). While little of the story relates to Vietnamese heritage specifically, the passages where Trot's grandfather speaks in Vietnamese root the story in his immigrant experience, and Trot's respect and love of her grandfather references (Chu and Lee say) the creators' own relationship to family and heritage. As it turns out, the king of the serpents is also an immigrant, sunk by pirates some hundred-plus years ago on his way to California, and interpreted by snakes as the new king, after the old king (a dragon) passes away. The narrative is, Chu says, influenced by Frank Baum's The Sea Fairies-- and a twist at the end references Oz as well.

It's hard to get a graphic novel that will appeal simultaneously to pirate-story fans and to sensitive children with dreams of secret, beautiful, detailed worlds beneath the ocean; this does it. G-d, it's so pretty.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this at CharlOz, and finished it on the plane back out of North Carolina. It's based on L. Frank Baum's The Sea Fairies, which is referred to as "a long-forgotten novel published in 1911." I certainly haven't forgotten about it, but I'm sure I'm in the minority. It's a pretty loose adaptation of a book that doesn't have much plot to begin with, and doesn't even include the main conflict or villain. Since Chu thought a little girl hanging around with an old sailor wouldn't really work nowadays, she instead essentially splits the character of Cap'n Bill into two, Trot's grandfather who has dementia and a surfing one-eyed cat. The cat is able to talk after being enchanted by the mermaids, and does so about how you might expect a cat to talk. Trot helps to achieve peace between the sirens and the sea serpents, who are ruled by a boy who's sort of a combination of King Anko and Sacho, in that he was saved from a shipwreck. This Anko explains that he's considered the reincarnation of the previous king, who's depicted as an Asian dragon. I've always kind of wondered if Baum's dragon-like beings ruling the oceans were inspired by East Asian mythology in the first place, so it kind of fits. The mermaids are drawn in an Art Nouveau kind of style, as was popular back in Baum's time. A lot of other sea creatures appear as well. While it's quite different from the source material, it has some fun nods to the earlier book, and it's a very attractive volume. I'll have to check out the adaptation of Sky Island as well.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is good, but the art is truly exceptional. Janet K. Lee's work combines a Rick Geary-esque comics style with some incredibly lush art nouveau details. The beautiful whiplash lines! I don't think I'm smart enough to describe how and why the illustrations kick so much ass! There were times when I just spaced out, stopped reading, and just looked at the illustrations. Some the text was clunky (even for a children's book) and the plotting was a little wonky. I will definitely continue to read the series though!

Update: OK wait so in this undersea kingdom, there are like giant fish, crustaceans, walruses, sea snakes, octopus, etc. who speak and basically are peers of the mermaids. Some of them, like the seahorses, are non-speaking working animals; and others, like the clown fish, are pets. But they also eat shrimp and some fish and other sea creatures? Where is the line?!?

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This pick from the Renton Highlands Children’s Graphic Novel section is charmingly based on a book by Oz famous L. Frank Baum. I haven’t read the original but I have met the characters in other Oz books. This was a fun recognition; I hadn’t noticed the attribution when I started reading and Chu sets her adaptation in a modern beach town with Trot as an avid surfer and her grandfather as suffering from dementia, so when Trot sneaks out during his nap to catch some waves with her one-eyed cat Cap’n Bill and he wakes up to wander off, it’s time to panic and have adventures.

The books really captures the flavor of Baum’s books, which unfortunately include odd plot twists and strange character choices where don’t work as well for me with these modern characters. But I had fun recognizing old friends in new guises so I’m happy as I start my way down another row of shelves.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trot is a Vietnamese American girl who is an avid surfer that loves the ocean. She is usually accompanied by her grumpy one-eyed cat, Cap'n Bill. While surfing one day, Trot wipes out on a big wave and is transported to a magical underwater kingdom. She realizes that she is in the middle of ancient deep-sea battle. The Sea Sirens are being invaded by the Serpent King and his minions. When someone gets kidnap, Trot must risk everything to rescue someone she loves dearly.



The beautifully drawn graphic novel is colorful and easy to read. The book weaves mythology, mystical ocean creatures, and quirky characters together. While I enjoyed reading the book, I felt that there wasn't much of a plot and it was mostly fluff. I thought there was going to be a great big battle or an epic surprise at the end. The novel does leave an opening for more books but, I am hoping the next graphic novel has more going on.

[Tinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this graphic novel because of the illustrations and the creative story of a young girl and a special cat who enjoys being in the ocean. The young girl deals with her grandfather who has dementia and when he wonders away for hours on end, her mother will limit their time at the docks. However, Trot can't stay away from the water and her surf board so with her trusty, water loving cat, Capt'n Bill, she will sneak out of the house. When a big wave takes them under the water, they will meet fantastic creatures and dine with a queen. I really enjoyed the adventures of Trot, Capt'n Bill, and Trot's grandfather as they come to terms with a scary illness in an unique setting.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, and well-illustrated- graphic novel! Surfer girl Trot and her grandfather take care of each other while her mom is at work. One day while surfing during a coming storm trot's cat, Cap'n Bill, is swept under the water. When she dives to rescue him she discovers an undersea world ruled by an ancient civilization of Sirens.

The story is quite fun! Love the Asian main character! The illustrations bumped it all up to a 5th star. So beautiful.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a little girl, growing up in Florida, we were always swimming. My friends and I would always play a game we called Mermaid- it basically consisted of us choosing our hair and tail colors, pretending we had pet seahorses, and swimming around like a mermaid.

This book is that game come to life, except better.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming. I enjoyed the contrast between the modernity of the main characters and the eccentric vintage nature of the story (a retelling of one of Baum's old stories).

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t my favourite, definitely good for a younger audience though

[Mikey the Blaster Master · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school 4 sure. Light read that mimics The Wizard of Oz with a twist. I’d say it deserves a solid 3.5

[Claire Wrobel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art style was really unique, but the story was very surface level (pardon the pun). The main character seems to accept every fantastical element with absolutely no surprise, despite discovering there is an underwater world with sirens and kings that are at war with each other. Nothing felt deep or fleshed-out.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love L. Frank Baum’s the Sea Fairies but I think I love this beautiful graphic novel update more.

[Sucre · Rating 2 out of 5]

the art is quite beautiful in places but stiff and awkward in others. the dialogue can be clunky with poor comedic timing and there's an odd "slur" joke that really fell flat. still, it's a cute idea and some of the spreads are worth skimming over

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about a girl, her cat, and grandpa and the underwater adventure they go on. I am so happy to see more illustrations by Janet Lee!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Trot is a surfer that hangs out at the beach everyday after school while her grandfather, who is surfing from dementia, watches her. That caught my attention. Then this story kind of took a weird turn. One day her grandfather goes missing but is later found pretty quickly. This causes Trot's mom though to forbid them from hanging out the beach all day anymore. They are to only stay in the house. Trot can't believe this is happening to her so one day, when she sees her grandfather is sleeping she decides to sneak out of the house and go surfing with her cat anyway.

This is where the story takes a sharp turn that I did not expect it to take. There is a bad storm her and Trot sink to the bottom of the ocean where they are saved by some Sirens. To be honest, this isn't that unusual of a story. How many times do kids enter a closet or a different realm only to discover a world that they didn't know existed? For some reason in this book though it felt completely abrupt and sudden and took me by surprise. The adventure itself is very straight forward and doesn't really build any type of suspense. The plot is definitely extremely simple.

I appreciate the sentiment that many of our differences can be resolved if we quit seeing everyone who is not like us as the enemy. Useful universal message.

I would classify this as more lower-middle grade.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfectly fine graphic novel aimed at kids, but I found it a bit bland. The art is bright and attractive, though I felt like it could do better at depicting dynamic scenes of movement and action, and I dislike how the faces tend to have a bit of a caricature style to them, with just-slightly-too-exaggerated features. The plot is quite basic. The cat was a lot less likeable when it could talk (supposedly it was just that Trot was given the ability to understand the cat, but the cats apparent personality while talking vs. non-talking seem quite different). The underwater kingdom is full of apparently intelligent fish that serve the mermaid queen, and yet they also eat fish at their meals. Once the characters can magically breathe, being underwater is exactly like being on land, except they can float.