Science Comics: Coral Reefs
Cities of the Ocean
A colorful, humor-filled nonfiction graphic novel about coral reefs — their biology, their extraordinary inhabitants, and why they matter — narrated by an enthusiastic little fish with glasses.
Your guide to the coral reef world is a bony fish with glasses and an endless enthusiasm for sharing what he knows. Through his eyes, this book covers everything: what coral actually is (it’s an animal, not a plant — a fact that surprises most people), how reefs form, the astonishing variety of creatures that call them home, and why coral reefs feed and support over one billion humans worldwide.
Maris Wicks, who is also a scuba diver and has illustrated for the New England Aquarium and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, brings both scientific credibility and genuine delight to every page. The humor runs throughout — corals have thought bubbles, the disco clam makes an appearance, and the whole thing is beautifully colored and genuinely funny without ever dumbing down the science.
The book also covers coral bleaching, climate change, and what kids can actually do to help — woven in as part of the story rather than tacked on at the end. School Library Journal noted that Wicks’ experience “shines through with accurate facts and appealing, colorful drawings.”
Aimed at ages 9–13, though curious younger readers do just fine with it.
Thoughts from a Looper:
If your crew has been snorkeling the Keys or the Bahamas, this is the book to have on board before or after they go in the water. The Florida Keys sit on one of the largest coral reef systems in North America, and what kids see through a snorkel mask will suddenly have names, context, and a whole story behind it — why the coral looks the way it does, what each creature is doing there, and why some reefs are white instead of colorful (a sign something has gone wrong).
Maris Wicks actually scuba dives, and it shows. The underwater world she draws feels accurate and lived-in rather than generic. The fact that coral is an animal — not a rock, not a plant — tends to genuinely surprise kids, and that revelation lands early and sets the tone for the whole book.
A good pairing with Science Comics: Whales if you have both on board. Between the two, you’ll have most of the ocean covered.
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