Bliss Editions continues the publication of the children's works of author Katie O'Neil with La baie de l'aquicorne, an ecological and reparation story…
A marine and magical adventure
Katie O'Neil is the sole mistress on board managing the script and illustration of The Bay of Aquicorn. Lana and her father return to their home village to help clear the damage of a storm. As the days go by, the girl understands how much she missed the ocean but also how much the recent death of her mother weighs on her. 
What pleases a child…
In the first pages, Lana arrives in Abalone at her aunt's house who is preparing to rebuild everything while the heroine's father rediscovers the strength of the ocean. The drawing, simplified, composed of round shapes by Katie O'Neil offers beautiful and very dreamlike landscapes that reflect the joy of enjoying the waterfront. Overall, there is little recognition of New Zealand except for school uniforms. Lana takes care of the beach by regularly picking up the garbage brought back by the tide. In the middle of the book, the discovery of a magical world shifts the narrative elsewhere. Through Aunt Mae, the young reader will discover the consequences of global warming but without suffering a long speech. The dilemma between human survival and nature conservation is shown by the example of Abalone because Lana will have a decisive role in solving the story.
And what convinces an adult
At the end of the volume, parents can discover through texts the threats to coral stories but more actively the names of the associations that fight against this situation. Aquicorn Bay is much more than a naïve ecological adventure story. Lana's mother has just died and she suffers from it. The author manages to bring this pain very subtly, without violence or unnecessary sensitivity. The girl even suffers from several lacks: that of her mother but also of nature since her father wanted to live in the city to cut himself off from his pain. We follow in parallel the reconstitution of a family after a mourning and the reconstruction of the village. Indeed, Lana's reunion with the sea reminds her of the absence of her loved one. The discovery of a baby aquicorn will help him. She feels compelled to watch over this animal which, like her, no longer has its mother. In a final box, the author shows that a child can come out of this painful moment grown. 
Although composing children's stories, Katie O'Neil does not give a traditional or conservative image of the world but reflects a diverse and multicultural vision of humanity. There are several feminist aspects as in Princess , Princess by the character of Aunt Mae. This woman is physically very strong and more than her brother-in-law – because the latter has been suffering since the death of his wife. Mae smokes and fishes alone on a boat but this tough guy also suffers from grief. The Bay of Aquicorn once again proves the quality of Katie O'Neil's stories. The author offers children progressive stories but without ever falling into moralism by her talent as a storyteller and draftswoman. We can hope that the upcoming sequel to the Dragon-Tea Circle will confirm this success. If you are interested in the world of Katie O'Neil, do not hesitate to read the chronicle on Princess, princess on this link.
