Aqua Boy is a beautiful and gentle story of a young boy named Aaron who lives by the sea with his mother, father, and sister. They are very conscious of their role in caring for the environment, referring to themselves as “ocean guardians”. Aaron dreams of one day feeling brave enough to put his head beneath the water, and he is encouraged and supported by his family, who reassure him that he will do so when the time is right.

One day the family is cleaning trash from the beach after a storm, and they find a stranded octopus. The father carefully coaxes the octopus onto a stick and brings it back into the water. Aaron is transfixed. He grabs his goggles, follows his father into the water, dips his head beneath, and shares a special moment of connection with the octopus before it swims away.

The illustrations in the book are gorgeous; they are simultaneously bold and calming and were created with acrylic paint. The characters all have a brown skin tone. Themes of environmentalism are woven throughout but are presented in a way that is not overwhelming to the reader. Brief informational pages at the end of the book detail facts about octopuses and share a resource to learn more about being an ocean guardian.

This book is highly recommended for libraries serving patrons ages 3-6.

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta