This sweeping nonfiction picture book explores the 200-year lifespan of a bowhead whale and the changing environment that surrounds her.
Almost 200 years ago . . .
Our journey begins with the birth of a bowhead whale, the longest-living mammal in the world. Over the course of her life in the Arctic, the bowhead whale witnesses many changes: from an era of peace and solitude to one of oil rigs and cruise liners.
With gorgeous, detailed, and striking illustrations, this well- researched and thoughtfully curated nonfiction story captures the magic and beauty of the natural world, while also providing a thoughtful account of how humans have impacted our changing ecosystems and presenting a call-to-action for protecting the environment.
Authors’ note. Further information about bowhead whales, the Northwest Passage, whaling, and other arctic animals that appear in the book. Full-color illustrations were created with watercolor, gouache, and colored inks, and finished in Adobe Photoshop.
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School Library Journal
K-Gr 4-This is a fascinating glimpse of what a bowhead whale might have seen over her lifetime in the last 200 years. The whale's story starts in her infancy-when she's still nursing from her mother and learning about all the things in the ocean around her, including ships. As her life continues, she becomes a mother and teaches her own calf about how to find food and avoid predators, such as humans. The book covers the impact of humans on whales through increased shipping traffic, oil drilling in the Arctic, and decreased sea ice. The authors include back matter, such a diagram of whale anatomy, information about other arctic animals, as well as information about the people who live in the Arctic, and provides readers with background, and ideas for further questions and research. Beautiful artwork offers a means for understanding the scale as well as the grandeur of the location. This would be an excellent introduction to a unit of Arctic study or a discussion of the impact of global climate change. VERDICT Narrative nonfiction at its best, helping readers understand the impact of global warming or even simply wildlife from a unique perspective.-Debbie Tanner?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.