I recently read a graphic novel (from First Second publishers) about coral reefs; therefore, The Great Barrier Reef by Helen Scales had some repetition. Yet, this book was focused on the Great Barrier Reef, and not all the worlds coral reefs. This allows what was learned before to now be applied to the one specific area.
Lisk Feng illustrations are what really makes the story for me. They are not photographs, but neither are they cartoonish. This in-between approach was refreshing. You are learning, but not having the YOU ARE LEARNING approach. This softer approach could work better for slightly younger readers, or unlike the First Second book, for someone not as into humor. This is a straightforward book that is not dry, bogged down by regurgitating facts.
It is a cozy book that would work well in a kindergarten to about third grade classroom (though the younger look to the book might turn off the older end of the spectrum of readers). It is a great book for the classroom (homeschooled or traditional) or for the reader who likes facts. Maybe they are into oceans, therefore, you can expand their knowledge to an area most are less known.
And of course, along with the facts of how the reef is created, the good and bad critters that swim about, and the corals themselves, we also learn ways we can help take care of the reef. I like the comment, “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but bubbles.” And now, with technology you will not even do that! So, yes, the future is here, and we can use it to help keep the reef the Great (Barrier) Reef it is.