Robert Burleigh is the author of many books for children, including
Night Flight- Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic illustrated by
Wendell Minor (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2011); Fly,
Cher Ami, Fly!- The Pigeon Who Saved the Lost Battalion (Abrams
Books for Young Readers, 2008); and Homerun- The Story of Babe Ruth
(Sandpiper, 2003).
Wendell Minor is the illustrator of dozens of children's books,
including The Last Train by Gordon M. Titcomb (Roaring Brook Press,
2010); Look to the Stars by Buzz Aldrin (Putnam Juvenile, 2009);
and America the Beautiful by Katharine Bates (Putnam Juvenile,
2003).
*In 2005, an adult female humpback whale became caught in nets left
by crab fishermen. This beautiful picture book vividly describes
how divers cut through the ropes that held her in place, saving her
life. The prose is spare yet captivating, without a single wasted
word (“The struggle begins. The web of ropes cuts into her skin.
She flails, starts to sink, fights for air.”). The gouache
illustrations are exceptional and expertly complement the text. The
final spread is particularly glorious, depicting the whale
splashing away, her tail gleaming under the light of a starry sky
and a full moon. An appended section includes more details about
the actual event that inspired the book, information about whale
rescue in general, and facts about humpbacks. Educators will also
appreciate a page of extensive resources. This is an enchanting
portrayal that demonstrates the positive impact that humans can
have upon the natural world, and few readers will come away
unaffected. VERDICT The inviting language, gorgeous images, and
uplifting tone make this an excellent addition to any
collection.
-School Library Journal, *starred review
Frequent collaborators Burleigh and Minor present a tense story of
an attempt to free a humpback whale entangled in crab traps, based
on a real-life event off the California coast in 2006. Burleigh
writes in three-line passages that evoke the feeling of haiku ("The
struggle begins./ The web of ropes cuts into her skin./ She flails,
starts to sink,/ fights for air"), while Minor's gouache paintings
highlight the whale's immensity, strength, and vulnerability as
small human divers attempt to cut her free of the ropes binding
her. Endnotes detailing the event that inspired the book, as well
as information about humpbacks and the dangerousness of whale
rescues, round out a quietly dramatic survival story.
-Publishers Weekly
*Based on an event that took place near San Francisco in 2005, this
picture book depicts a humpback whale swimming, diving, and feeding
freely until she becomes entangled in abandoned, drifting nets. Her
struggles draw the ropes tighter until, trapped, she stops and lies
still. Boats bring rescuers to the scene. Five divers cut the
lines, one by one, until the whale can swim again. "She moves among
the cheering rescuers, softly nudging each one, as if saying
thanks." The whale breaches and swims away. In Minor's beautifully
composed gouache paintings, the whale is a silent but enormously
empathetic character. Several appended pages offer more information
about the actual event, whale rescues in general, and humpback
whales in particular. Adults reading the book aloud may want to
introduce words such as spyhop, lobtail, fluke, and krill before
beginning, to avoid breaking the cadence of the writing once
the story is underway. Like the stately illustrations, the precise
prose has a dignity that is worthy of its subject and unusual in a
picture book for preschool and primary-grade children. Although the
episode of the whale's entrapment and release is short, it will
linger in young listeners' minds long after the book is closed.
-Booklist, *starred review
Ask a Question About this Product More... |