If You Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em: The Twenty-Fourth Sherman's Lagoon Collection (Volume 24)

This Sherman's Lagoon collection provides lighthearted entertainment while weaving in ocean facts and larger messages about threats to the ocean and its creatures.

Sherman's Lagoon is a fantasy place situated somewhere in the tropics. It's inhabited by a motley crew of sea creatures whose marine lives suspiciously mirror our own. Through his comic strip, cartoonist Jim Toomey explores many of the issues that we face daily in our world on dry land. His characters attempt new business ventures, go on disastrous dates, try fad diets, and read the latest bestselling books.

Sherman's Lagoon appeals to adults and children alike. Children, preteens, and teens enjoy its underwater theme and the sometimes rough-and-tumble world of life in the ocean. Adults enjoy the social commentary that is a common thread in the strip.

There is also an educational aspect to the strip that gives it a unique place in the comics. Toomey explores environmental themes in a light, apolitical way. And he takes his characters on road trips, where they explore different parts of the ocean and meet native animals along the way.