A little boy goes with his parents to a place that seems like the sea. When he turns around, he finds his parents have disappeared. Lost in the aquarium, he feels all alone and helpless, like the sea creatures that have been brought there from the sea.
A little boy goes with his parents to the aquarium. Like the sea, it’s a place with whales, dolphins, starfish and many different kinds of fish. He walks around slowly, feeling as though he is in the sea too, and as though humans can talk to animals. At one point, he loses his parents. On his own in the aquarium he feels sad and helpless, like the animals that have been brought from the sea to the aquarium. When will they all see their parents again? The little boy will soon find his parents, but the creatures in the aquarium will probably never be able to go back to the sea.
Lin Po-Ting cleverly associates the child’s sadness with that of the sea creatures at the aquarium. In the first few pages, the text is in the voice of the little boy, but as the story develops, the boy’s inner voice seems to join that of the animals. The book is presented in a printed style with swathes of blue like the ocean. It is attractive, though tinged with sadness. The ending encourages readers to think about aquariums and why they exist, and the importance of marine conservation.
