Review by Booklist Review
This is a lyrical and seemingly straightforward tale of a mother humpback and her calf migrating from the warm winter waters of the Caribbean Sea to a summer feeding area off the coast of New England. Yet the simple text delivers a subtle and timely message of conservation, not to mention a fable about perseverance and courage. Along their way, the humpbacks encounter all manner of dangerous and wondrous obstacles, including a brush with a hungry orca, an encounter with a boat of whale watchers, and ocean liners crossing their migratory path. The descriptive text (One slaps the escort whale with a flipper. Bonk! Smack!) and Hogan's panoramic, cool-colored charcoals make this obvious read-along fodder, but both elements are also detailed enough to engage independent learners. As is becoming increasingly common, the story is punctuated with nonfiction facts in a smaller font, regarding everything from humpback songs to whale-watching rules. A little something for everyone here.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a story about a humpback whale calf, Sayre balances informative text with polished prose that lightly personifies the animals: "Head down, in deeper water, a male whale sings. His song rhymes and repeats. All the male whales in the area know this year's song-yet they vary it, like jazz musicians onstage." As mother and calf move from the shallows into the open ocean, they encounter other creatures and objects, which Sayre introduces in offset text about whale-watching tours, barnacles, suckerfish, chemical pollution, and more. Hogan's charcoal and pastel illustrations subtly vary texture, light, and shades of blue to convey the changes in the submarine environment as the whales travel. Ages 4-7. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-This picture book about a year in the life of a humpback mother and calf is beautifully illustrated in soft charcoal pencil and pastel on sanded paper. A varying perspective-from eye level, below, and above the water level-places the whales in context with their environment and other wildlife. The narrative of the growth and development of the newborn male calf flows on the left side of each spread as he thrives in the warm Caribbean Sea. Brief explanations and information on the recto expand upon the story with factual information. The perils of life and migration are objectively presented, including man-made dangers of pollution and marine traffic and dangers from the humpbacks' fierce natural enemy, the orca, and even other humpbacks. All ends well for the mother and son as they make their way through the dangers to their summer feeding grounds off the coast of New England. The stunning art and well-presented information make this an attractive addition to any collection.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Sayre's text thoughtfully follows a year in the life of a female humpback whale, from the birth of her calf through her spring northward migration and back to Caribbean waters for winter. In addition to the narration on the right-hand pages, spreads contain paragraphs of further explanation on the left. Hogan's cool-toned pencil and pastel illustrations represent the underwater light well. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
"Flippers paddle. Flukes push. In every ocean on Earth, humpback whales swim." So begins this introduction to humpback migration. Sayre structures her tale around a mother whale, beginning as she is about to give birth and migrate north to colder waters with her calf. Their journey will be long, and they will face many dangers, man-made and natural. The primary text features fairly short sentences, onomatopoeia and simple vocabulary to engage younger readers. Italicized asides interspersed throughout go into greater depth for older children and their grown-ups, discussing whale songs, food sources and survival challenges to name just a few. Deep blues and greens highlighted with white crests are rendered in charcoal and pastel on sanded paper, providing a textural immediacy that plunges readers into the ocean. The occasional placement of black text over Hogan's appropriately murky depths occasionally makes reading a challenge. A conclusion provides more detailed information on migration and studying whales. There's plenty of drama and appeal in this primary-grade introduction. (Informational picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
