I'm sorry, I tried to download this book and it wouldn't let me view it! Thank you for the opportunity though. I have put a hold on AQUICORN COVE at my library as well as Katie's other books and I can't wait to dive in and read them all!

It was very lively and heartwarming story. Absolutely loved the art and the atmosphere of the graphic novel.

I absolutely love the art style of this comic. It's cheerful, colorful, and inviting. The plot is simple, but it has a very valuable message within its pages. I only wish there had been more building upon the plot.

Another beautifully illustrated book by Katie O'Neill. I will add this book to my personal collection. O'Neill does a nice job on the messages of the book, environment. O'Neill is on my most read list.

This was a delight to read! I really loved the art style and the story was engaging. I do wish that the story was more fleshed out though, but that is a good thing. It means the story gripped me enough to want more. I also thought that the underlying theme was a bit on the nose sometimes, thankfully without being obnoxious about it. We need more stories like these that highlight the impact that we have on nature and the importance of our choices. Overall, a super cute story!

Aquicorn Cove is the story of Lana, a young girl who visits her aunt with her father in the wake of a storm which has devastated her aunt’s village. While there she befriends an unusual sea creature and learns more about her aunt’s past, all while learning to cope with the loss of her mother. .This is an environmentalist fable, a slice of life story, and a come of age tale.

It would be hard to review Aquicorn Cove without mentioning famed Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax. Much like The Lorax, Aquicorn Cove asks its central characters to examine the impact their actions have on the environment, and like The Lorax this is achieved with the aid of a magical creature who asks the human character to see the error of their ways.

Where this book stands out however, is in its emotional core. Far from being the greedy cliches of other environmentalist works, the human characters in this book have a clear, sympathetic reason for why they are doing what they are doing, despite the damage it is doing to the world on which they depend. This isn’t a tale of unchecked avarice, but of people simply trying to do the best they can to survive in a changing world. It isn’t a loss of profits they fear, but the loss of their homes, and their way of life. There are no villains here, and the book is all the richer for it. The sympathetic nature of the human cast allows the readers to root for these characters and hope they can find a way forward, even if it means that something has to change.

The environmentalist message at the heart of of Aquicorn Cove is backed up by a story line very personal to the character of Lana. Although an exact time frame is never given for when Lana lost her mother, it is clear that her loss still affects both Lana and her father very deeply. Lana is at a point where she is starting to find her place in the world, and she is becoming more and more aware of just what the loss of her mother means as she grows. This is a loss the character feels more keenly now that she is back at her mother’s home, and spending time with her aunt Mae, who in many ways takes on the role of mother figure.

Without going into specifics, the seemingly separate story strands of the concerns of the village, and Lana’s personal feelings of loss do come together in a way that is not only satisfying from a storytelling point of view, but also deeply touching. The culmination of the journey of the village as a whole is also the culmination of Lana’s journey, and the lessons that have been learned by the characters over the course of the book are perfectly encapsulated in how the lessons the village learns and the lessons Lana learns converge.

Katie O’Neill’s beautiful writing is matched perfectly by her illustrations. Aquicorn Cove features soft colouring which works perfectly with the expressiveness of the line art to capture the mood of every see, be it the wonder of the sea, Lana’s moments of joy or sadness, or the terror of the storms that befall the village. There are no sharp lines and the book feels all the richer for it.

Aquicorn Cove is a beautiful book. Not only is it visually stunning, but O’Neill deftly combines ideas of personal and communal tragedy into a story about accepting the past and learning to let go so that you can move on into the future. O’Neill seamlessly integrates these different elements into a book which highlights the consequences of our actions, not with judgement, but with love.

She finds a baby Aquicorn that has been injured and she works on making it well. She doesn't realize that her aunt visited with them in the past. She was asked to slow the fishing in their area but refused to do it.

Oni Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review. It will be published the 16th of October.

When her niece visits the cove and hears their plea to stop using plastic nets, she adds her voice to theirs. Her Aunt agrees and they go back to their hand tied nets.

Taking too much from the ocean is not good. There has to be enough for reproduction and to feed the other fish and animals that live off the fish. Otherwise species die. There is a good lesson here.

What a beautiful book the illustrations were incredible the colour brought such a light hearted vibe to the story while still talking about a serious issue in nature. I would definitely recommend. 💜

I loved it!!!!
A really cute story with an important message!!!
I loved the drawings, they are getting better and better in each book of this author!!!!
I wonder if maybe someday the story will continue...

What a beautiful way to teach children about appreciation of the sea that provides us with so much. I am big on respecting nature and if you take you give. This is the message that I felt this book gave. It is also the story of Lana a little girl who lost her Mom. was trying to cope with that and take care of her Dad. She needed to go to her Aunt Mae to refresh and have someone take care of her for a bit. The illustrations were well done even in comic book form and the Aquicorns were magical. I do believe beacause this book is very emotional that it should be for age 8+. I really don't think younger children would understand the meaning and emotional aspect of it.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh, the mixed feelings!

After her mother perished in a tragic boating accident, Lana’s father moved them out of the idyllic seaside town they called home and into the city. Now they’re back, if only for a few days, to help the community recover from an especially devastating storm. Yet when she rescues a sick young aquicorn (think: a cross between a seahorse and a unicorn) from a tide pool and nurses her back to health, Lana’s mission ripples outward until it becomes monumental in scope. Not only must she confront the unacknowledged grief and depression that assailed her after the loss of her mother – indeed, everything she’d ever known – she must also save the aquicorn’s home, under assault from climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

So there are lots of things I loved about AQUICORN COVE: The artwork is super-adorable, the aquicorns especially (and unsurprisingly). I appreciate the breadth of diversity when it comes to Aquicorn Cove’s citizens: not only do we see a variety of skin tones, but there’s a refreshing range of body types too, from tiny little old ladies (who are still getting it done, okay), to aunt Mae, who is big and beefy and has the kind of biceps I’d kill for. There’s even an implied same-sex romance between Mae and Aure, the queen (keeper? guardian?) of Aquicorn Cove. I ship it.

While I liked the environmentally friendly vibe, as well as the message that not a single one of us is too small to make a difference, the story lost me in its treatment of its smallest creatures: the fishes. There’s a clear divide between the aquicorns (flashy, majestic, kind, unique) and the fishes (food, natural resource), even though both are someones, not somethings. Whereas I doubt Lana would even dream of killing and eating an aquicorn, somehow it’s just fine to do this to someone who’s “just” a salmon (or whatever). In a word, it’s speciesist.

Granted, Lana’s people are perhaps indigenous to the island, and that’s a conversation worth having. That said, I don’t think it’s helpful to feed kids self-serving pap about how food animals “sacrifice” themselves for you. Most animals, when faced with death, fight to survive – just like human animals. So please just don’t try to romanticize their deaths, or make them appear complicit. They do not exist for your pleasure or convenience.

In summary, AQUICORN COVE is a pretty adorable book, though vegan parents might be better off skipping it entirely. There’s just too much to unpack.

So beautiful!! I was looking forward to reading this and I was not let down. The artwork is stunning! Can't wait own it. #aquicorncove #netgalley

This is a charming, brief look into a fantasy world not too different from ours with a story that tackles grief and environmentalism. This is no easy feat! I wish I had read this with a child, because what’s basic to me might be just perfect for younger audiences. The cheery colors and cute characters will capture kids’ attentions, and the simplifying of important life lessons will help them better grasp the concepts. I think O’Neill did a wonderful job in this respect. I also appreciate that neither the story nor artwork draws attention to the diversity of the cast—the characters are just who they are.

The artwork in this book was absolutely gorgeous. It's the same style O'Neill used in her Tea Dragon book, but she used different colors to fit the ocean theme better. I really enjoy the characters she draws and the different type of fantasy animals. Very cute.

The story was pretty simplistic but provided a deep message: we need to take better care of our oceans. The characters learn the hard way that there needs to be balance with what you take from the oceans. Also how you take care of nature is important.

It was very cute and I think it would be good for all ages.

4.5 ⭐️Just like The Teadragon Society this is a very relaxing reading, it has cute illustrations with that pastel tone that's characteristic of Katie's work, the plot is great, though just like the previous book the only problem I have is that this story presents such a well constructed world that it leaves you hoping for the book to be longer so the mythology and story presented could be explored further.

As someone whose been in love with Katie O'Neill's art style, I was excited to see where her next story took us. While on par with the lengths of her previous works, this one delves into deeper topics including strong environmentalism themes. This one also contains a subtle f/f relationship, grief and aquicorns (aqua unicorns). I recommend for fans of Katie O'Neill's previous works or if any of those things strike your fancy.

A very cute fantasy tale about a little girl named Lana who lost her mother to a storm and is now learning to live life without her. She misses her old home by the sea and is currently visiting with her dad to help her aunt clean up after a storm. The story's main focus is on caring for and living in symbiosis with the ocean, the main source of livelihood and income for the village Lana used to live in. It's a little strange that this should be the main focus when so much of the story is about Lana's sadness and healing over the loss of her mother. I wish this part of the story was better resolved, but other than that I really enjoyed it.

Also, I love her artwork!! -happy sigh-

I absolutely loved this graphic novel! This is a wonderful story that is necessary for every age to read. It really brings to light how much we effect our environment. This was such a sweet but impactful story. It not only covers our over fishing and dying coral reefs but brings a beautiful LGBTQ love story with a sprinkle of magic.

I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

(Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

I've read Princess Princess Ever After and Tea Dragon Society from Katie before and loved both of them, so I was very excited hearing about her next one. The art and story continues to just be incredible, and blow me away. The colors in this are gorgeous and, also, the message behind it is important as hell.

Also continues to have queer characters, which I am all here for because really, and everyone isn't one beige color. You know, like how to actual world looks.

Bottom line - I'd recommend all three graphic novels I've read by Katie O'Neill so far, high recommend even. I think Tea Dragon Society stands as my favorite but just cause, you know, dragons. This one was really cute, though, and sweet. And very real? Even with the fantastical elements, all of Katie's work feels very real.

When i saw this on netgalley i wanted to read it. It was amazing. So cute and i loved the story behind it. Artworks are amazing too. I loved it.