Little Whale by Jo Weaver

Little Whale by Jo Weaver
Review Copy from Peachtree Press
Little Whale by Jo Weaver is gently, cooly stunning. With a wave of blues that are hard to capture in the images here, she takes readers on a journey - a 12,400 mile journey, as you learn after reading the author's note. Little Whale begins, "Gray Whale led her baby out of the shallows and into the warm southern sea," telling her (non-gendered) baby that they are heading north to join the rest of their family to find food in the "cool, rich waters" there. One small touch I love about Weaver's text is the intermittent use of the word "sang" instead of "said" as the mother and child converse. 
Mother and child pass through coral reefs and breach under an enormous starry sky. They swim through seas that, "shimmered and danced" as the water grows colder. As they travel, Little Whale repeatedly asks, "Is this home?" Ships and a pod of orcas leave Little Whale feeling small, scared and tired. With strength failing, Little Whale clings to Gray Whale and they hear the sound of whale song echoing through the icy water, their family calling them home. Weaver ends her book, and the journey of mother whale and calf, with Little Whale, "resting against the warmth of Gray Whale." Family surrounding them, "Little Whale drifted off to sleep."
Little Whale is a beautiful story on so many levels. It is a story of a mother and child. With gentle rhythms and cool blues, Little Whale is also a sleepy story. Finally, and most importantly, Little Whale is a story of an amazing animal migration that hopefully will inspire little listeners to learn more about the animals we share the planet with.
 Also by Jo Weaver:

And, if you like a lovely, quiet mother-child story, 
be sure to look for this book:



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