Ahab and the White Whale

In this lush, meditative retelling of Moby-Dick, Marsol (Astro) evokes a markedly different vibe than the original, rendering Captain Ahab as more dreamer than diabolical. Ahab himself narrates via spare, conversational text that takes a reckoning tone. As the captain recalls his exploits, scaling hulls, squandering “entire voyages... hemmed in by fog and mist,” and taking refuge in a mussel-scented cave, readers will note the whale’s near-constant presence—breaching across the water, looming outside a porthole, and even hosting Ahab in his stomach. Matching the captain’s famously searching state of mind, highly textured, restlessly alive artwork with an iridescent palette makes the ocean seem like a glittering treasure chest. The resolution reimagines Melville’s cataclysm as something closer to the Jonah story—albeit with Ahab emerging from the belly of the beast not chastened but transformed, and suggesting that “the sea is a mystery” worth embracing. This contemplative and elliptical take may not cast a wide net, but it’s still a whale of a tale—one in which obsession opens Ahab to wonder rather than sealing his fate. Ages 5–9. (May)