From the Publisher
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
"As well as a history lesson here, the text—emphasizing the BIG creatures, problems, protests, and ideas that make this story—shows the importance of standing up for nature and that change is possible. The heartening tale is accompanied by detailed watercolor illustrations that show snapshots of history and wonderfully underscore the majesty of whales." —Booklist, starred review
"Citizen activism takes on industrial pollution in the Hudson River and makes way for whales to return to New York Harbor in this historical picture book." —Publishers Weekly
"In Groenink’s art, humpbacks arc with sinuous grace through sludgy (later sparkling) waters... A sincere record of an environmental success story." —Kirkus
"Evocative illustrations and easy-to-understand text bring this story of whales living in the Hudson River in New York to life... fascinating and accessible story about whales and the water they live in. Great for a read-aloud, especially for Earth Day." —School Library Journal
"The textured gouache and graphite illustrations often spread across two pages, encompassing both the hugeness of the whales and the city that grows behind them... simultaneously respects the existence of whales entirely out of human context while still making clear the connection between the natural world and the human world." —BCCB
"Offers hope for aspiring citizen activists and makes a compelling case for taking the long view and not giving up the fight." —Horn Book
MARCH 2025 - AudioFile
Tara Novie's youthful voice reflects a sense of wonder for the topic of this audiobook: whales. While her bright delivery contrasts with the somberness of those majestic animals that were pushed out of former habitats by human expansion, she does convey a sense of hope as the Hudson River flows clear again and the whales return. In the second part of the audiobook, Novie's tone becomes more grounded as she details historical and environmental insights relating to the Hudson Highlands River's troubled past and activism that led to the 1972 Clean Water Act. Novie conveys the urgency of this environmental issue and humanity's role in shaping an optimistic future. M.F. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2024-12-28
Driven from the waters around New York by pollution and overfishing, whales have come back in the wake of a concerted clean-up campaign.
In a somewhat disjointed yet heartening narrative that abruptly switches collective voice midstream from a cetacean “we” to a human one, Castaldo describes how New York (“A great BIG city. Bigger than us great BIG whales”) grew to became a hostile place for marine life, its waters “sickly sweet with smelly, stinky waste.” So away the whales went, until people began cleaning up the trash. “We protested, marched, and voted.” Thanks to concerted efforts and the 1972 Clean Water Act, aquatic populations began to grow again. “We marveled at our river with pride,” and the whales, too, returned. In Groenink’s art, humpbacks arc with sinuous grace through sludgy (later sparkling) waters, poking their heads up to peer back at boatloads of whale watchers. As noted in a dense afterword—which also includes a timeline to 2022 and tributes to some of the activists who led the Hudson River cleanup—sei, North Atlantic fin, and right whales have recently been spotted, too. The groups and crowds of (human) New Yorkers in the illustrations are realistically diverse.
A sincere record of an environmental success story. (source list, suggested activities)(Informational picture book. 6-9)
