Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Starred Review This new entry in the TOON line of emerging-reader comics may be the most sophisticated yet, spinning a variation on Hawaiian folktales about the shape-shifter shark god, Kamohoalii, and his son, Nanaue. After a young woman is rescued from drowning by a handsome stranger, they fall in love and have a son. Before the boy is born, though, the man reveals his true self by flaring gills, sprouting fins, and diving back into the sea t not before leaving a cape and a cryptic utterance to be remembered by. The boy grows up, eating everything in sight and pranking the local fisherfolk to no end. His mischievousness goes a bit too far one day, though, and the villagers chase him off a cliff, right into the fate his father prepared for him. Johnson's beautiful graphic style recalls, of all things, Gilbert Hernandez' early Palomar comics, with zippy figures set against equatorial backgrounds distinguished by a few key features waterfall and fruit tree here, a tidal pool and coral reef there. The crafty panel layouts plunge into a couple of full-bleed splash pages with all the exhilaration of a high dive. Although simple enough to keep brand-new and below-level readers in tow d strengthen their vocabulary with contextual clues is charming and playful Hawaiian fable will reveal deeper layers to more intuitive readers.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Part graphic novel, part myth, and part beginning reader, the story tells of the Shark King, who has a son with a mortal woman. Sharks and the format will lure in readers; the subtext of bullying and self-discovery will stay with them long afterward. The characters' rounded black outlines convey strong energy and emotion, while the art features a lush Hawaiian setting.

Kirkus Reviews (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

The Shark King's deadly son gets an extreme makeover in this version of a traditional tale from Hawaii. Born to a loving human woman, Nanaue is a happy child (rather than the flesh-eating monster of yore) with a huge appetite and a jagged line on his back that sometimes opens into a snapping, toothy mouth. His mischievous nature soon leads him into trouble, and he dives off a cliff to escape angry villagers from whom he had been stealing fish. This unites him with his father--a huge shark who had taken human form to marry Nanaue's mother, Kalei, but returned to the sea on the night of his birth. Johnson presents a quickly told story in bright, fluidly drawn sequential panels of varying size and shape, with a mix of narrative and dialogue. Set against a rocky shoreline and underwater scenes teeming with sea life, his brown-skinned, lightly clad characters gesture and move with smooth naturalism, displaying both distinct personalities and expressions from comical to noble. A myth involving rampant anthropophagy transformed into a lightly sketched tale of parent-child bonding. (Graphic folktale. 7-9)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Gr 2-3 A retelling of a traditional Hawaiian tale about Kamohoalii, a shape-shifting shark god. A young woman named Kalei falls in love with a mysterious man who rescued her from a shark attack. They marry and move to a cottage by the sea where they met. The night before their child is born, the man tells her that he must go where he can "protect" his son, as it is not safe for him in the world. As he starts to grow scales and fins while escaping to the water, Kalei realizes that her husband is the Shark King. The baby is born, and Kalei names him Nanaue. He grows up to be a normal, happy child except for two things: he has a shark mouth growing out of his back and a voracious appetite that is never satisfied. Eventually, Nanaue is faced with danger in the world and must go to the one place where he can be safethe sea. The story is broken up into easily digestible chapters. The muted primary color palette complements the simple text and the graphic art. There is a clear progression of the story that is facilitated by the page layout, but the fact that not every panel is displayed in the same format creates good variety. Kids will enjoy this simple yet mysterious story. Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY