Shark Princess

July 1, 2022
Grades K-3 Kitana is a whale shark and, as she proudly declares, the first-ever shark princess. Her buddy Mack, a less-than-scary mako shark with sneezing allergies, would love to be a shark princess, too, but is scared he isn't cut out for the job. But Kitana explains that her princess status is self-appointed, and no squidding, anyfish can be a princess; your life is your story and you decide. So together the two shark princesses explore shipwrecks, play ""The Kelp is Lava,"" and celebrate together what makes them unique. The story is overt in its message of self-love, and the digitally rendered artwork is clean and simple with calming washes of ocean blue and scattered bursts of fun color. There is some cute sea-themed pun-play tucked throughout the text, Mack's character provides a sweet and accepting notion that boys can be princesses too, and the back matter is terrifically packed with everything from whale shark facts and drawing tutorials to hide-and-sea games. It's a wholesome addition to the growing collection of early graphic novels for beginning readers.

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July 25, 2022
Who gets to be a princess? That’s the crux of this firmly inclusive, emotionally generous graphic novel by Chanani (Jukebox). Readers are immersed in an undersea cartoon world—luminous in colorist Elizabeth Kramer’s expansive aquatic palette—where Kitana, a whale shark sporting a seashell-and-starfish crown, is the self-declared “first shark princess.” This is not pretend play or a yearning, Kitana tells “best chum” Mack, a shark with a krill allergy: “I don’t want. I am.” But Kitana’s vision of princess-hood is as open as it is unshakable: when Mack finds a gold crown in a sunken ship and offers it as a replacement for Kitana’s fetching homemade affair, Kitana insists that it become Mack’s princess crown instead—even though Mack worries that dangerous teeth and severe allergies are instant disqualifiers. “Shouldn’t we decide who we are?” Kitana says. “This is my story. And yours.” A nominal, briskly paced adventure ensues when the pair gets trapped in the rotting shipwreck and rescued thanks to Mack’s propulsive allergic sneeze, but it’s Mack’s realization that expression and identity aren’t about rules or permission that make this series starter sparkle. Ages 5–7.

September 1, 2022
Chanani's latest graphic novel sees shark princesses of different species (and genders) having adventures in a sunken wreck. Sporting an elaborate crown of shells and sea stars, slow-moving whale shark Kitana (the self-declared "first and only SHARK PRINCESS!") rejects smaller but toothier chum Mack's initial eager invitations to play games--but the prospect of exploring a wreck is a different matter. And when a sparkly golden crown turns up inside the hulk, it only makes sense to declare Mack a princess, too. Mack doesn't think so, being, embarrassingly, allergic to the smell of blood and dead fish, but Kitana will have none of that: "Princesses can be allergic!" And when Mack still expresses doubts: "Our crowns. Our story." So it is that the two chime "SHARK PRINCESSES!" with a tail slap and swim into a briefly dangerous--though entertaining and amusing--adventure (with more to come, Chanani promises). Kramer uses a rainbow palette of bright pastels to color the sequential seascapes, and a drawing lesson joins a "hide and sea" game and facts about whale sharks and shipwrecks to close. A finny, funny foray that encourages inclusivity even when it comes to play. (Graphic novel. 7-9)

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September 23, 2022

Gr 1-3-This sweet early reader comic can be read simply as an enjoyable story, or it can be a catalyst for discussion with younger readers about their sense of self. Kitana and Mack are best shark friends. Though they are vastly different, this does not hinder their friendship. Kitana has dubbed herself a shark princess, and when Mack joins her game, he doubts whether he can be a shark princess, too. Is he too scary? Can an allergy-ridden shark be a princess? This engaging story with bright and dynamic artwork can be enjoyed by beginning readers, who will devour the fun story and laugh at the jokes, such as the use of "shore" instead of "sure," befitting the nautical setting of the story. VERDICT A welcome addition to the early reader comic shelf in all libraries.-Esther Keller

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
Color by Elizabeth Kramer. This first installment in Chanani's comics series introduces sharks Kitana and Mack, best friends enjoying an undersea day together. When Kitana declares herself Shark Princess, Mack is confused ("What's a princess? And why do you want to be one?"), but he plays along after Kitana agrees to explore a shipwreck with him. While poking around the wreckage, they find a crown, and Kitana encourages Mack to declare himself a princess, too. Chanani keeps a tight focus on her characters in each of her panel illustrations, giving just enough detail in the backgrounds to establish setting and movement. She has a lot of fun with language, tossing in puns ("she shore would") and coining fishy lingo ("somefish") for the early-chapter-book crowd. Mack isn't sure he has what it takes to be a princess -- that is until the duo stirs up some trouble, Kitana sustains a minor injury, and Mack saves the day. The story is gentle, but the theme -- each of us gets to decide what to label ourselves -- is deep.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)