Janey may be the only fourth grader who wants to go to school on her birthday . . . because normally she’s homeschooled by her mom, while her family sails around the Bahamas and Virgin Islands. Life on her parents’ handcrafted boat is an adventure, but Janey rarely comes across other kids her age. When her family is temporarily harbored, and she spots Astrid on another boat, she is ecstatic. Astrid is unfathomably cool and daring, but her moods are as unpredictable as the sea. Is this really the friendship Janey’s been craving?
Both funny and intense, Sea Legs was created by illustrator Niki Smith (The Golden Hour and The Deep & Dark Blue). She teams up with debut author Jules Bakes, whose uncommon childhood growing up on a boat provided the basis for this graphic novel. Smith’s art accurately reflects the eclectic nature of the story, with lively illustrations that switch from comical expressions that convey Janey’s humor, to more serious moments involving sudden uses of red, like in Astrid’s pupils when the tension of her home life becomes apparent. Life at sea is complex, and Baker and Smith—lifelong friends who met after the events that inspired the book—lovingly depict it as both a privilege and a burden. The valuable portrayal of a complicated friendship makes Sea Legs relatable to any landlocked reader.
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