Little Whale in Deep Trouble

March 15, 2017
A young whale finds himself in jeopardy.Oscar, a young whale, lives with his mother deep in the ocean, surrounded by all sorts of different animals. He always feels safe--until the day he gets trapped in an abandoned scrap of fishing net. Separated from his mother and initially unable to move, he rises for air and is freed by some divers, the likes of which he's never seen before. After a -dance- for his rescuers, he is joyfully reunited with his mother. Based on a true story, this well-intentioned tale includes some facts about humpback whales and some of the perils they face from pollution as well as hunting. The focus here is educational rather than artistic; it appears that young readers and listeners are meant to attend to the plot and lesson rather than a gracefully told story; the language is sometimes clumsy, while the artwork is pleasant but not particularly artful. The consistent, nonstandard capitalization of -Mama- regardless of context (-Where is his Mama?-) gives the text an amateurish feel. Still the book's focus on the plight of whales may make it helpful in the classroom as a supporting resource, though it stops short of providing children with concrete measures that may encourage recycling or activism. A basic introduction to the environmental hazards that endanger whales. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-Oscar loves his mama very much, and, like most young children, he doesn't like to leave her side. The only difference is that Oscar and his mother are humpback whales. Oscar enjoys watching his shadow trail behind his mother's on the ocean floor. But one day, Oscar sees a group of stingrays and goes off to explore with them. Eventually he realizes that his mama's shadow is no longer right next to him-and he can't move his flippers! He is trapped in a discarded fishing net. Wilhelm based Oscar on the true story of a humpback whale that was caught in a net off the coast of Mexico in 2011 and was rescued by a group of divers. Simple prose will appeal to preschoolers, who will identify with Oscar's insecurity without his mother. Young children will also relate to those first forays without a parent and the comfort of being reunited. Older readers will be interested in the back matter, which includes a description of the real-life event, information about humpback whales, and a diagram of the whale. The illustrations are digitally created and add a lot of expression to Oscar-readers can see all of his worries and his eventual happiness when ultimately everything turns out just fine. VERDICT A tale of environmental awareness for preschoolers.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ

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