Boy Underwater

Nine-year-old white Cymbeline Igloo’s mother has never allowed him to go swimming, and he’s not sure why. When a classmate challenges him to a swimming race, he accepts with exuberance: he may not know how to swim, but he’s sure he’ll figure it out with Google and gumption. But then “complete and total disaster” strikes, and Cymbeline almost drowns, causing his mother, a painter who often experiences grief “so heavy that she couldn’t put it down,” to withdraw. After his mother is hospitalized, Cymbeline goes to live with family nearby in London. Desperate for stability and longing for his mother, he recruits his crush Veronique, who is half French and half Chinese, to help him investigate his mother’s paintings for clues to untangle the web of his family’s past, which is “much more complicated than I’d ever known.” Australian author Baron’s children’s debut is funny and easygoing, complemented by lively black-and-white illustrations from Davies, which depict Cymbeline’s beloved Mr. Fluffy and delicious pizza slices. Despite the heavy subjects covered, including loss, mental illness, and grief, Cymbeline’s energetic narration and penchant for addressing the reader directly keep the tone lighthearted throughout. Most characters cue as white. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9–12. Agent: Cathryn Summerhayes, Curtis Brown. (Mar.)