Whale Quest

June 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-Whales have long captured the human imagination, from the Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale to Herman Melville's Moby-Dick to the 1993 film Free Willy. Young explores these majestic animals in 10 fact-filled chapters. Readers learn about the whale family tree and the 80-plus whale species that exist, as well as how these animals eat, breathe, mate, and migrate. The author also examines the booming whaling industry of the 19th century and its devastating effects on global whale populations. Subsequent chapters focus on the efforts of organizations such as the International Whaling Commission to protect whales and the attempts of cetologists to research and understand whales in order to better safeguard them and the oceans they inhabit. Interspersed throughout the text are photographs and "Whale To Watch" sidebars that highlight individual specific cases. An extensive amount of back matter concludes the volume. VERDICT Whale lovers and budding oceanographers will surely appreciate this thorough title.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
Threats to whale populations are abundant, but there are many human allies working together around the world to protect their fragile populations.Young explores how cetologists, researchers, and citizen scientists work individually and cooperatively to protect whales from such hazards as climate change, commercial fishing and shipping, water and noise pollution, and unregulated whale-watching tourism. Before going into specifics about conservation efforts, Young explains the evolution and nature of cetaceans, how the whaling industry brought many species to the brink of extinction, and early conservation efforts that resulted in the establishment of the International Whaling Commission. She also notes how popular films such as Free Willy and Whale Rider and award-winning documentaries like Blackfish and Dolphin Cove have helped spread appreciation for cetaceans and raised public consciousness about conservation issues. One chapter explores the controversy of whale captivity, with Sea World at the center of a widespread public backlash against the practice. For those with a taste for the icky and gross, Young explores how much researchers can learn from whale feces and snot. A closing guide to whale species offers a sobering reminder of the terrible toll taken on whales by humans. The blue whale population, for example, is estimated now at 5,000, down from a pre-hunting population of 200,000. An informative, well-researched, and engagingly written look at global efforts to protect Earth's largest mammals. (maps, photos, source notes, glossary, bibliography, further reading) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

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June 1, 2017
Grades 8-12 Young takes a fittingly large-scale approach to her investigation of the whale and its precarious place in the wild, which she anchors through the theme of whale watchers. After a brief introduction to this mammal's evolutionary history and role as a keystone species, the book traces its relationship with humans over time. The discussion begins with the whaling industry, both its detrimental past practices and current protective policies. Interestingly, it was from whaling that cetology (the scientific study of whales) and the whale-watching industry were born, and from these came conservation movements. Young delves into each of these areas, peppering the text with photos, diagrams, profiles of whales to watch, fast-fact Q&As, and a concluding whale guide. The balanced presentation of information offers straightforward accounts of controversies, such as SeaWorld's orca shows, and the many opportunities available to those who wish to help save the whales. Readers after a personal account of whale rescue will want to look elsewhere, but researchers will be well served by this compact volume's breadth of information.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)