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lattelibrarian's review
4.0
I'd been wanting to read this for a long time, so it was like fate when I happened upon the ARC. Between the beautiful writing and the stunning illustrations, this book is definitely one that I want to purchase for myself, for my friend's babies, for my baby nieces and nephews...it's a fantastic tale of animal activism, love, and hope. I definitely think that this one will be a contender for next year's Caldecott, and I'll be interested in seeing how far it goes in my class's mock version!
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
meganac's review
4.0
This is such a sweet little book. The art is gorgeous - it really makes you feel like you're right there smelling the salt of the sea, feeling the drops of rain and the chill on your skin. Emma's compassion for the whale is gentle and necessary. We need more stories like this one to promote an understanding of nature and a value for life.
If we don't teach our little ones proper wildlife management, perhaps they'll never learn it.
If we don't teach our little ones proper wildlife management, perhaps they'll never learn it.
earth_and_silver's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I am afraid I really did not get a lot out of the illustrations. But. The writing got my attention and my feelings more than I expected it to. It gave me almost an "A Ring of Endless Light" vibe. It made me feel sad and hopeful all at once, and made me curious what Emma might get up to in the future.
heisereads's review
3.0
Beautiful, muted illustrations. The story was a bit lacking for me as the flashback moments felt abrupt and the suspense wasn't heightened as much as I would expect at the pivotal moment. Good pairing with [b:The Storm Whale|17164725|The Storm Whale|Benji Davies|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372713322s/17164725.jpg|23591261].
nairam1173's review
2.0
I was on board until the whale started talking. That was...jarring. Lovely illustrations, though.
calistareads's review
3.0
Emma lives on the beach and one day out walking she spots a whale washed ashore. It’s a baby whale. As the tide comes in, she helps them push the whale back out to sea. This beginning book is a nice conversation starter about what happens when sea life accidentally washes ashore.
I wanted to love this book. It’s not a bad book, but I don’t know how memorable it is either. The nephew liked the last picture where Emma dreams she is riding the whale. The niece liked that too. He found the book interesting and gave this 3 stars. The niece said she didn’t feel anything with this book. She thought she should feel something about the whale, but she didn’t. She gave this 2 stars. I agreed with her.
I wanted to love this book. It’s not a bad book, but I don’t know how memorable it is either. The nephew liked the last picture where Emma dreams she is riding the whale. The niece liked that too. He found the book interesting and gave this 3 stars. The niece said she didn’t feel anything with this book. She thought she should feel something about the whale, but she didn’t. She gave this 2 stars. I agreed with her.