Imani’s grandfather has taken her on an outing to an aquarium. The little girl is initially scared of the sharks but Grandpapa reassures her by explaining how sharks rarely attack humans. When they spot a scuba diver in the tank, Imani gets to learn a little more about the ways that humans can work in the undersea world. Towards the end of their visit, an exhibition on shipwrecks allows Grandpapa to explain about their African heritage and to recount his own personal experience of segregation and how it impacted on his opportunities to learn to swim.

IMANI’S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE is a delightful picture book featuring an adorable and inquisitive young Black girl and her grandfather sharing time together. The wisdom of Grandpapa is perfectly balanced by the wide-eyed wonder of Imani and it is a pleasure to spend time in their company. Adults will appreciate the way that author T.M. Jackson manages to incorporate so much positive and empowering information within what can be read as a simple, traditional picture book. And children will love the wonderful illustrations by Darwin Marfil that complement the story, even giving personality to the grinning, toothy sharks.

Highlighted within the text are the names of numerous Black pioneers in the areas of marine biology and scuba diving. As Grandpapa points these out to Imani the little girl realizes that she could be a marine scientist too. By showing pertinent examples of high-achieving African American women in the world of marine biology and diving Jackson, by extension, is demonstrating that girls like Imani can be anything that they want to be. It’s an exciting, inspiring message for any young child.

The text has numerous jumping off points that could prompt further discussion. These include personal reminiscences of segregation from Grandpapa and historical information about the slave trade. Jackson skillfully includes this material in such a way that it provides background and context without ever overshadowing the through story about a grandfather and granddaughter spending time together. The author has provided numerous links pointing to further information on the subjects covered in the book including studies on African-American engagement with swimming, a look at minorities in shark sciences and general introductions to careers in marine biology. These are an incredibly useful resource for parents, guardians or librarians which will allow full engagement and answer questions on the subjects covered from even the most inquisitive child.

IMANI’S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE is an entertaining, beautifully illustrated picture book that combines sharks, marine scientists and Black history in an educational and empowering way that will surely inspire any young reader.

~Kent Lane for IndieReader