DEEP BLUE

New things can be scary, but they also contain the potential for unexplored fun.

Kayla, who narrates this tale, is thrilled to be visiting the beach. Equipped with a swimming tube shaped like a pink dolphin, the youngster cheerfully bobs in the water until a jagged shell pierces the tube. Kayla’s relegated to the sidelines, but Daddy gently coaxes the child into the water. The waves are rough, but swimming feels less scary when Kayla visualizes the two of them as various aquatic pairs: “You be a rock…and I’ll be a basking seal.” “You be the harbor…and I’ll be a fishing boat.” With more encouragement from Daddy, Kayla grows in confidence and even feels empowered to swim independently in the ocean blue. Following the same family from their previous work, Wild Blue (2023), Slater and Hughes have crafted another lovely look at the unease of trying something unfamiliar—and the joys of finally triumphing. Slater’s lyrical, first-person text centers Kayla’s emotions and sensory experiences (“the deep blue sea touches my toes with frothy fingers”), while Hughes’ expressive acrylic ink illustrations capture the unpredictability of both childhood emotions and of ocean waters with their crashing waves, as well as the gentle stillness that pervades the tale as Kayla enjoys an undersea dive. Kayla and the family are tan-skinned; an older family member uses a cane.

A playful, empathetic look at a common first childhood experience.