The Aquanaut

This story by underwater explorer, writer and photographer Jill Heinerth hopes to encourage young children to overcome their fears and follow their dreams, even if they’re not typical dreams.

That’s an admirable goal, but Heinerth’s narrative doesn’t follow a linear or developmental progression normally found in a picture book from which a child could take meaning. Every word in a picture book must be carefully chosen, and every sentence should motivate the story. That’s not the case in The Aquanaut. Many of the sentences do not seem to relate to one another, nor is there a satisfactory conclusion for each thread introduced into the story. The story requires adult interpretation and intervention.

For example, “the world seems too dangerous” indicates the child is afraid to engage with the world, but there is no satisfactory textual indication that she has overcome her fears. “My parents kept saying, ‘Maybe when you’re older…’” but the parents then disappear from the story. There is no mention of their role in her life after that.

The vignette that follows shows the child wishing she could “float through space”, but that text is not linked to the first page, nor to the next block of text: “I wanted to help others. It made me feel grown up.” Heinerth does not show that the girl has worked through her fear of danger, etc. to come to the decision that she wants to or is able to do grown up things.

Heinerth’s character says, “I wanted to know what it was like to be something else. Could I grow flippers or a beautiful tusk? Could I talk to a dolphin?” The two-page illustration following shows the girl in a scuba outfit out in the ocean, calling out to a pod of dolphins. That’s a nice image, but there is no mention or drawing of a human or sea animal with flippers or tusks, leaving the reader to wonder why they were included.

The narrative can only be connected through an adult explanation. While a picture book is intended to be a collaborative partnership between an adult and a child, the adult should not have to create the meaning for the child.

What works in this story are the joyful, appealing watercolour and digital illustrations by Jaime Kim. Kim paints the rich blues and dark purples of the ocean depths as well as the oranges and yellows of the sky. Her young children are happy, curious and full of energy. The double-page spread with children frolicking in a park on an autumn afternoon is vibrant.

Kim’s illustrations in The Aquanaut will draw potential readers to open the cover and keep them turning the pages. But the strength of the story should lead the reader through a book; the illustrations should demonstrate the depths of what the writer is saying. In this case, unfortunately, the story feels disjointed. It’s the good will of the readers and the illustrations that will make them finish reading. Underwater pictures of Heinerth included at the end of the book are intriguing; perhaps she should write a non-fiction book for children about her interesting career choice.