Hello, Baby Beluga

January 15, 2011

Lunde and Wynne pair up for the third time (Meet the Meerkat, 2007, etc.), here acquainting the youngest animal lovers with facts about the beluga whale. As in their previous books, the author sticks to a question-and-answer format: "Baby Beluga, how do you live in the cold water? / I have a layer of fat to keep me warm. I breathe through a hole in the top of my head." Basic questions about habitat, appearance, diet, adaptations and social behavior are answered in simple language well suited to both preschoolers and beginning readers. Back matter includes a few additional facts about belugas, including the fascinating tidbit that these whales are never fully asleep—parts of their brains take turns staying awake. While the trim size is not strikingly large, Wynne's whales fill the right-hand pages, making them easy to share with a group. Appropriate for the audience, her illustrations are accurate, just detailed enough not to overwhelm, and her characters appear to be smiling throughout. Even the topic of predation is dealt with in a relatively nonthreatening way: "Baby Beluga, what do you fear? / I am afraid of orca whales and polar bears. They try to eat me." While the artwork does show a crouching polar bear, it is a ways removed from the water and wears a neutral expression. A solid addition for the youngest naturalists. (Picture book. 3-5)

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March 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 1-Baby Beluga swims in the ocean while answering nine questions about himself and his kind. After describing his appearance ("I am five feet long./My skin is dark gray./It will turn white like my mother's/when I am older"), and home ("I live in the Arctic Ocean./I like cold water"), he raises his head out of the water to demonstrate how he breathes, makes sounds, and watches for enemies. Underwater, he drinks milk from his mother and swims with his pod. Single-page illustrations of Baby Beluga in an iceberg-spotted ocean appear next to sky-blue pages of questions and answers until it's time to say goodnight. The story ends with a two-page close-up of the beluga and a multicolored sunset with 10 additional facts about these whales superimposed on it. Realistic illustrations rendered in watercolor, ink, colored pencil, and pastels complement the facts. After learning about these creatures, children can sing along with Raffi as you read his Baby Beluga (Knopf, 1990).-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

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