Whalesong The true story of the musician who talked to orcas

In 1971, when Mr. Horn and his two sons moved to Canada's Vancouver Island, they frequently visited the large aquarium nearby. They especially enjoyed watching the two orcas, Haida and Chimo, who playfully splashed visitors sometimes. But it was sad to see such magnificent whales confined to a small pool. Dr. Spong, a scientist, often attempted to communicate with the orcas by playing recorded music. When Mr. Horn, a flute player, performed for Chimo and Haida, they soon made sounds in response, to Dr. Spong's delight. After Chimo's death, Haida was unresponsive to music and near death, but after hearing happy music played on the flute, he began to eat and interact with visitors. The back matter provides more information about orcas, Paul Horn, and Dr. Spong's role as a researcher who helped to start Greenpeace's "Save the Whales" movement to release whales from captivity. With a concise text and sensitive illustrations, this picture book tells a true story that will surely resonate with the many children who would like to communicate with animals.

In a moving tale about "two whales, two boys and two Pauls," Ohora introduces two kids and their flute-playing father, Paul Horn (1930--2014), who bond with a pair of orcas at a Vancouver sea park. The family, who regularly visit the animals' enclosure, encounter researcher Paul Spong (b. 1939) playing music to see whether it's a viable means of communication with the whales. Horn agrees to perform for them, and the cetaceans' pleasure is evident: the flute music "seemed to dissolve all boundaries--of species, air and water." Then Horn goes on tour and the visits are suspended. When the family returns, they're shocked to find that significant changes have occurred--changes for which Horn's music slowly provides a kind of balm. Sweet-tempered, blocky illustrations soften difficult moments in this memorable ode to the power of music and the possibilities of communication--a work that also casts quiet doubt on keeping animals in captivity. Back matter offers further context. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)

Music touches lives human and otherwise in this true zoo tale from the 1970s. A jazz flautist named (ironically) Paul Horn meets captive orcas Haida and Chimo at an aquarium on British Columbia's Victoria Island, along with a scientist, Dr. Paul Spong, who's been studying the effects of recorded music on the whales. With Dr. Spong's encouragement, Horn agrees to sit poolside with his two sons and play live. Astonishingly, the marine mammals not only listen attentively, but also respond with calls of their own. Sometime later, after Chimo dies, Horn returns with his children to revive the grieving, failing Haida with dancing and happy tunes. OHora relates the encounters in rhapsodic, occasionally over-the-top tones--"Gorgeous melodies filled the air." "For a moment, they were all free in a realm of pure joy"--before concluding with poignant sentiments about the suffering of orcas in captivity and further information about the apex predators, about Horn, and about Spong's ongoing research. In illustrations "inspired by music on vinyl," abstract tufts of sound float up from the flute as the orcas swim and splash in claustrophobic surroundings. Chimo's rare partial albinism is accurately depicted. Human figures are uniformly pink-skinned, but they're likewise drawn with individualized features. Schmaltzy but affecting.(Informational picture book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.