Review by Booklist Review
After a whale dies and slowly sinks to the ocean floor, its body continues to nourish sea-dwelling creatures for another 50 years. This lovely picture book describes the ongoing process, using especially effective descriptive language ("Hungry hagfish smell the whale from miles around and swarm the scene. It may be their first meal in weeks"), supported by perfectly aligned mixed-media illustrations in watery shades of blues and greens that span facing spreads. Some pages also feature inset close-ups of tiny critters (zombie worms, amphipods) and show how microbes and bacteria tunnel into the whale's bones. The rich back matter includes additional information about whale falls, a bibliography, sources for further exploration, and basic information about all 22 animals mentioned in the text: scientific name, size, diet, predators, life span, and an often entertaining field note (sea pigs breathe through their butts). Great for researchers--and gentle enough for even the most squeamish audiences--this also makes a great read-aloud (who doesn't want to hear about roughscale rattails and snubnose eelpouts?).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
When a whale dies, its body sinks to the ocean floor, and the end of its life marks the beginning of an entire new ecosystem composed of bottom-dwelling species. Stewart's restrained text steps through each phase in decomposition, noting how the whale's tissue serves as food for waves of scavengers and, over the course of several decades, allows a thriving ecosystem to develop. The featured species have quite elaborate names: hagfish and sleeper sharks arrive first, followed by roughscale rattails, snubnose eelpouts, and grooved tanner crabs, and then such "mini-munchers" as amphipods, Oregon hair crabs, hooded shrimp, and sea pigs. When only bones remain, zombie worms, and finally bacteria, complete their dissolution. Other equally interestingly named species feast on the scavengers, forming the chains and webs of organism relationships. Dunlavey's striking waterscapes gently portray death and the new life that flourishes in its aftermath, with inset close-ups that highlight the anatomical details of the smallest of the ocean creatures. End notes provide facts and figures about the animals and a list of resources to learn more about ocean environments. Danielle J. FordJanuary/February 2023 p.111 (c) Copyright 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
The carcass of a whale is a gift to the sea. When a whale dies, its body sinks to the ocean floor, but that's not the end of its useful life. For the next 50 years, it will continue to provide nourishment to a series of deep-sea creatures. Stewart takes her readers 5,000 feet down into the East Pacific Ocean to watch the procession of scavengers who will feast on the remains of a 70,000-pound gray whale--and sometimes each other. First come the hagfish and the sleeper sharks. Later there will be zombie worms and the squat lobsters who eat them. Some microbes "form thick, colorful mats that spread across the bones," while other microbes live inside the mussels and tubeworms that are also attracted to the carcass. It's a thriving new sea floor ecosystem. The exemplary backmatter tells us that scientists have identified over 500 species that are in some way connected to a whale fall. The author has chosen examples with names--"snubnose eelpouts," "sea pigs," "blob sculpin"--that delight. The smoothly written text is set directly on evocative blue-toned underwater scenes that make good use of light and texture. The backmatter's added facts about the 22 animals featured will inform science-inclined older readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An intriguing and effective look at an unfamiliar world, well suited for reading aloud. (more information on whale falls, selected sources, resources for further exploration) (Informational picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
