Welcome Home, Whales

March 15, 2021
A child hears the far-off song of a right whale. It seems to be a dream at first, because no one else can hear it. It is a haunting sound that grows a bit closer each day, sometimes joyful but more often mournful and sad. The sounds become a saga of the whale's darkest experiences, or possibly a history of the entire species. After several mornings, the child goes to the beach in the early light and hears the whale plead to know why she was hunted and is now unable to come home. With an aching heart and feeling the creature's pain, this young human can only whisper a soft apology for the deeds of others. The whale heads out to deeper waters, but as more people gather, listening and waiting, she returns with a baby, and this time her call is filled with hope. The child, who presents White, narrates in a tender and gentle tone, addressing readers as companions. The whale's tales are depicted as small, gray drawings of whales, whaling ships, hunters, harpoons, and death, all placed within the more colorful, large-scale illustrations of the whale at sea or child at home or at the shore. Although the whale's species is not named in the text, a double-page spread at the conclusion of the tale provides a great deal of information about right whales. (This is an Australian import, suggesting the whale is a southern right whale.) Beautifully tender, moving, and even hopeful. (Picture book. 6-10)

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March 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 A young boy listens telepathically as a right whale reveals her story. Sometimes she is sad, other times joyful, but the boy is enthralled by everything he hears. He empathizes with her fears but is unable to make things better. Then one winter morning, she appears near the shore calling gently, this time not to the boy but to her newborn calf. Booth's gentle tale exudes a dreamy feel, with lyrical language well suited to the story's reflective mood, which dominates most specifics concerning this species' endangered status. Mixed-media illustrations--hand-painted watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink--complement the story's magical feel and excel when they depict this enormous creature dwarfing humans and boats nearby. Much of the art uses green tones, accented in black and white for the whale. Originally published in Australia, this edition includes an afterword that offers additional information about this species and suggestions for protecting it. This will work for one-on-one sharing or for science and ecology units.

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