When I picked up Imani's Undersea Adventure to read to my granddaughter, I thought it was about a little girl's adventures visiting an aquarium, but it is so much more than that. Imani is young African American girl who is visiting the local aquarium for the first time with her Grandfather. As all young children so, Imani asks a lot of questions. Her grandfather is so patient and answers her questions as well as sharing information about marine biology, marine archaeology and black history. Grandfather shares information about slave ships, segregation, Black Female Marine Biologists and the First Black Scuba Diver. I love the way grandfather not only teaches Imani, but inspires her to lose her fear and possibly to follow a career path in the future. Wonderful illustrations highlight this simple yet insightful story. At the end of the book, T.M. Jackson includes a resource page to help connect families to marine sciences. There are locations of aquariums, museums, and websites that share history, swim lesson locations and research articles. I always enjoy books that encourage girls to pursue professions and careers in Science. A wonderful addition to family, school and public libraries.

4.5 stars!

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Pros
+ I WILL BE BUYING THIS FOR MY DAUGHTER
+ I love this for so many reasons!
+ 1. It shows sharks in a positive light, finally! As someone who has studied sharks, dived with them all over the world and generally thinks they are awesome, it is FINALLY nice to see them in a positive light in a children's book!
+ 2. It explains diving in very simple, accessible terms. I LOVE diving and hope to instill the same in my daughter one day. This book would be a perfect start!
+ 3. The history of Black women divers was not something I was aware of! I really don't know diving history very well, despite being a PADI Divemaster and AAUS Scientific Diver. I know how to do it and teach it, but I don't know the history. This gave me 3 amazing Black women to look up and further discuss with my daughter when she's old enough.
+ 4. The mention of serious topics like near-drowning, slavery, and segregation were introduced just enough to open up the topics for discussion without distracting too much from the shark/aquarium/diver narrative between Imani and her grandfather.
+ 5. The illustration style is beautiful! And real colors are used for the animals, which I really appreciate. No purple and pink sharks here!
+ 6. There are follow-up resources included at the end!

Neutral
/ Some of the words used are pretty big (buoyancy control device (BCD), marine biologist, archeologist, ancestors, exhibit, etc.) so I'm not sure what age this would be appropriate for. I guess I'll have to wait and see :)

Cons
- None

TW: near-drowning, mention of slavery

Spectacular illustrations paired with brilliant storytelling- this book is spellbinding! I was hooked from the very first page. Heartiest gratitude to Netgalley and the author for providing me an E-copy in exchange of honest and unbiased opinion.

While visiting the local aquarium for the first time, Imani comes across sharks. She tells her grandfather about being scared of the gigantic creatures. With calmness and understanding, her grandfather states interesting facts about sharks, making Imani realize sharks are not as terrifying as they seem. She notices a scuba diver with sharks and enquires her grandfather about it. Each answer leads to a number of questions and they end up talking about scuba diving, marine biology and marine archeology, significance and differences of their jobs with awe-inspiring tales of black women dominating these fields. They reflect on inhumane sufferings of black ancestors due to slavery, discriminations between black and white people including the restriction for black people to swim in the same pool as white people. Her grandfather explains his love for ocean as well as how he failed to pursue a job in marine because he never had the opportunity to learn swimming well enough as he is black. He inspires Imani to be whoever she wants to be, showing respect to the struggles of black people who paved the way for future generations. Imani's relationship with her grandfather reminded me of my own. I miss sitting with my grandfather discussing about everything important and unimportant and the way he could ease all my self doubt and insecurities. I could relate to the story and it evoked a bit of nostalgia, comfort and longing in my heart. Imani's Undersea Adventure opens the opportunity to enlighten kids at a young age on the above-mentioned topics and spark stimulating conversation. The author, T.M. Jackson provided further resources to look for more information. He subtly introduces young readers to some of the most important issues to be aware of, embraces the dark past, pays tribute to the people who made it possible and seems hopeful for the future. Recommended for people of all ages! You must read this one.

The illustrations were lit! So beautiful that I enjoyed reading it.
Imani's Grandpa tells Imani lots of things, one of which is the story of the very first black woman to become a certified scuba diver. The part where the Grandpa shares that he is not a good swimmer because when he was a small boy, black children were not allowed to swim with white children and there were no pools for black people. I felt that part.
A wonderful read.

Great book. I was expecting it to be about undersea creatures, and while there's definitely a fair share of sharks and childhood wonderment at the aquarium, the book takes an unexpected dive into topics like.Black women in STEM, slave history, the racial history of swimming pools and privilege. All explained in a gentle, naturally flowing manner, while representing the precious bond between grandparent and grandchild. From the beautiful illustrations to the informative and empowering storytelling, this book is truly a treasure.

This is a much needed picture book that shows a protagonist of color interested in the sciences. A good balance of history, science, and civil rights, Imani's Undersea Adventure would pair well with fans of Cece loves science. I reviewed a digital copy, there was a resource page in the back for further information, but I feel this book could have used a glossary of terms and maybe a timeline of important marine scientists of color. Despite those missing elements, this book fills a much needed hole in children's books.

Oh, my heart. This book. This is one of those rare gems you uncover that surprises you in the absolute best way. At first glance this may look like a normal children's book about a little girl's adventure at an aquarium, but it is so much more than that.

This story was spectacular and I loved every moment of my time reading it. From the second I opened the cover to the point I put it down, I kept thinking about how excited I was to have the chance to read and review it.

Imani is a little Black girl who is exploring the local aquarium for the first time with her Grandfather. She is unsure of all the different underwater creatures, especially the sharks. With patience and a clear respect for the ocean, Grandfather explains that the ocean is an amazing place. He calms her fears of sharks by sharing interesting facts about how unique they are. He understands that the more you know about something, the less you fear it. When Imani sees a scuba diver in the whale shark tank, her interest is piqued. Grandpa uses the opportunity to talk about marine biology and some of the amazing black women who have become renowned in that field. He also shares with her the story of the very first black woman to become a certified scuba diver in 1965. The book takes a more somber tone as Grandpa shows Imani the shipwreck exhibits. He explains to her the plight of their ancestors, taken from their homes and sold into slavery, and that even through his childhood, black people did not have a good relationship with water. He sadly shares that he is not a good swimmer because when he was a little boy, black children were not allowed to swim in the same pools as white children and there were no pools for black people nearby. Imani and Grandpa share a tender moment and Imani knows that someday she wants to be a marine biologist herself. Grandpa of course, already knows she can do anything she sets her mind to.

At the end, the author has included a resources page to help connect families to marine sciences. There are locations of aquariums, museums, and websites that share history, swim lesson locations and research articles. This was an amazing addition to help take the fictional story and make it a reality for families and children. This book was exceptional, from the message to the illustrations and the content of the text itself.

All too often, girls are steered away from careers in the sciences, black girls even more so. They face tremendous obstacles in getting careers in that field. This book helps educate young girls to the amazing women who have made an impact in marine sciences fields and show them that they too can one day become a scientist or work at a job somehow connected to the ocean. The representation of a young black girl as a main character is a fantastic way to share with all students that dreams have no skin color, while reminding us about the truths of the past so we can make sure they never happen again.

Absolutely a must read.

Such a lovely, informative story. The illustrations were gorgeous and there is just as much to learn as an adult reading it as there is for a child. Loved this book!

This was an adorable story. My kids loved the vivid pictures. I loved that it opened the door to have important conversations about race and how important it is that everyone is treated equally. It is amazing to finally see Children’s books diversify in race. I can’t wait to open a a copy for my kids bookshelf.

4.5 stars. This is more of a teaching tool than a literary story, but it's quite effective in illustrating the lessons it has to offer. During a young girl's trip to the aquarium with her grandfather she learns about sharks, scuba diving, marine biology careers, slavery/the middle passage, and Jim Crow laws and their far-reaching consequences. This story would make a great addition to units about any of these topics to offer enrichment or an alternative mode/approach.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! They're colorful, vivid, and detailed and kids will love how they help bring the story to life. This is probably best suited to early and middle elementary grades and would be a good conversation-starter for students. It would make a great addition to school and classroom libraries!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Fascinating, delightful, educational! Learn about Black History (historical and contemporary) and at the same time, marine biology! Discover Black Female Marine Biologists and the First Black Scuba Diver! Loved the texts and illustrations. What a cool educational book for children (of all ages)!