The Breath of a Whale

This book was written more for the eye than the ear, which makes its transition to audio difficult. The author offers up fascinating facts about whales, dolphins, and porpoises, such as how some dolphins can shut down half their brains at will. Long sentences with complex structures can be a challenge to follow. Narrator Karen White helps with an easy-on-the-ears narration. She handles scientific terms nicely, slowing down so listeners can digest them. But when the author piles multiple scientific names for species into a single series, the effect is numbing. White effectively captures the palpable excitement of whale-spotting expeditions, but these episodes can't overcome the work's other shortcomings. Listeners may prefer the author's previous book, THE HIDDEN LIVES OF OWLS. R.C.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine