The Tale of the Whale

by Karen Swann, Padmacandra (Illustrator)

Overview

A child and a whale embark on a beautiful journey together in this lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book about friendship, hope, and love for the world around us in the vein of The Fisherman & the Whale and Cynthia Rylant’s Life.

Where land becomes sky and sky becomes sea, I first saw the whale and the whale first saw me.

A child joins a friendly whale for a magical journey of discovery. They sail the blue ocean, dance with dolphins, and tail-splash seagulls. But the child also sees an ocean filled with plastic trash. And that inspires a promise of help, for the whale and all earth’s creatures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534493940
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karen Swann grew up in the United Kingdom and trained as a physiotherapist. She now lives with her family in Nottingham and is a keen rock climber. Visit her at KarenSwann.com.

Padmacandra grew up in Scotland, lives in Norfolk and graduated from the Cambridge School of Art. She is a Buddhist, poet, and artist. Visit her at Padmacandra.com.

Editorial Reviews

2021-12-03
A brown-skinned child has a whale of a time with a new friend, but not everything goes swimmingly.

The unnamed and ungendered child narrates the story, relating how they first spy the blue whale from the top of a lighthouse tower. Accepting the whale’s invitation—“I've so much to show you, if you'll come along”—the child mounts the smiling whale’s back, and the two set off “on the rocking-horse sea.” They happily frolic with various sea animals then descend to a shipwreck where a sunken treasure chest awaits; alas, only discarded plastic bottles are to be found inside the chest. Child and whale swim onward, enjoying colorful underwater vistas, until they reach Arctic waters. When the whale opens its mouth to feed and ingests a ton of discarded plastic, there is a touching moment when the creature seems to telepathically appeal to the child. “I understood now what he'd brought me to see,” says the chastened narrator who then enumerates some of the kinds of plastic trash that contribute to “the soup of the ocean.” A page turn reveals four wordless panels showing marine creatures entangled in debris. On the journey home, the narrator makes a bold promise to the whale. The lyrical text captures the joy of exploration and adds a meditative tone to the fanciful story. Poetic refrain is used effectively to underscore the emotional connection between the child and the concerned cetacean. Padmacandra’s textured crayon-and-ink illustrations add luminous depth to the moving tale and use gentle tones that temper the heavy message.

A heartfelt plea to change our wasteful ways. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews