Sea of Constellations by Melissa Cristina Márquez (review)

Reviewed by: Sea of Constellations by Melissa Cristina Márquez Kate Quealy-Gainer Márquez, Melissa Cristina Sea of Constellations; illus. by Rocío Arreola Mendoza. Penguin Workshop, 2024 48p Trade ed. ISBN 9780593523605 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593753514 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 6-9 yrs When the ocean goes dark, the glowing, star-like spots on whale shark Maren are the only illumination. Maren's friend Remy the remora believes that perhaps Huixtocihuatl, the Aztec goddess of salt water, might know how to bring the light back to the sea, but first the friends must make the journey to the goddess through shadowy waters. A terrified Remy is comforted when Maren gives him one of her glowing scales, and as they travel Maren realizes she can help the other frightened sea creatures by handing out her spots. She ends up giving all of them away before they can reach Huixtocihuatl, but fortunately, now it's the other luminescent creatures who guide their way and bring Maren and Remy to Huixtocihuatl, who explains that the sea was dark because the sun god was sick. The story plays out as a sort of updated The Rainbow Fish, foregoing the original's moral judgment of vanity and instead emphasizing cooperation and functionality, highlighting an organic sharing of resources that is both kind and practical. The narrative itself is text-heavy, but the illustrations are gorgeous and absolutely engaging as the star-sparkled Maren moves gracefully through shades of vibrant cerulean, pale sky blues, and inky indigo while dapples, swoops, and smudges make the already dynamic background scenes flush with energy. The addition of the Aztec goddess and god bring in a folkloric, reverent element, and further details on Huixtocihuatl and Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god, are included, along with info on bioluminescence and the various sea creatures that join Maren. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois