Emma and the Whale
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
In this lyrical picture book with subtle conservation themes, a girl helps rescue a whale who has washed ashore. Here is a beautifully written, moving story that will appeal to all animal lovers, and to those interested in protecting our oceans and marine life.
Emma lives in a crooked house in an old whaling town, and often takes her dog, Nemo, to the beach. On their walks, they find amazing treasures, like shells and stones and sea glass—and even a loggerhead turtle. But one day, they find something completely unexpected: a baby whale, washed ashore. Emma empathizes with the animal’s suffering, imagining what the whale is thinking and feeling. When the tide starts to come in, Emma pushes as the water swirls and rises, and eventually the whale swims free, back to her mother.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
White's (Arctic White) atmospheric, vintage-style watercolors transport readers to the seaside home of a girl named Emma, a landscape of shingled white cottages, rocky outcrops, pine trees, and sandy beaches. Newcomer Case describes Emma's intimacy with ocean life and her love for it; she even imagines herself back in the age of whalers, shouting to ship captains, "Please don't hurt the whales." When Emma spots a beached baby whale, she acts instantly to save the creature, using the power of the rising tide to push the whale back into the water. As she works, she finds she can understand the whale's thoughts: "I'm scared," the whale thinks. "Don't be," Emma tells her. The introductory section lags a bit, and the whale, though more than a prop, isn't a fully developed character, despite its telepathic connection with Emma. Yet Case's debut fulfills the human fantasy of rescuing a wild creature in trouble while presenting a can-do story of a girl performing a remarkable physical feat: "She took a deep breath and tried again. I can do this." Ages 4 8.
