Baby Whale's Journey (Endangered Species) [Hardcover]

Jonathan London (Author), Jon Van Zyle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Endangered Species

Off the Pacific coast of Mexico, a whale is born. Swimming beside Mama Whale, and surrounded by a protective pod, Baby Whale begins to grow and learn. She dives in the deep dark through swirling galaxies of luminous fish. She encounters dangerous orcas and a giant squid. Soon Baby can leap and blow, and comes to know all the ways of the whales and the sea.
Continuing the nature series that includes The Eyes of Gray Wolf, Condor's Egg and Honeypaw and Lightfoot, Jonathan London's simple, poetic prose captures the tenderness and drama in the life of the endangered sperm whale. Jon Van Zyle's dynamic illustrations reveal the grace and magnificence of these mighty mammals. An informative afterword and a reader's guide are included.

Awards and honors for Baby Whale's Journey:
2000 National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council - Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A mother sperm whale mates, gives birth, and raises her baby as part of the pod. London introduces the animals' living and eating habits and sources of danger to both mother and offspring. In contrast to the brief, clipped informational texts of The Eyes of Gray Wolf (1993) and Honey Paw and Lightfoot (1995, both Chronicle), this book is written in a descriptive, almost poetic style that is less accessible to younger readers than earlier titles in the series. ("Sixteen moons pass,/and the one/who stayed behind-/becomes two./The new life/slips smoothly/from the warmth/of its mother's body/into the coolness/of the ocean.") More detailed information in a two-page afterword explains how the species became endangered and what is being done to ensure its survival, especially in the U.S. A two-page "Reader's Guide" offers topics for discussion and suggestions of related activities along with some facts about sperm whales. Van Zyle's realistic, double-page acrylic paintings clearly show the skin texture and size of the huge mammals and the vastness and depth of their ocean habitat. However, several pictures fail to illustrate the action of the text (e.g., the pod safeguarding the baby from a pod of orcas or the whales feasting on a giant squid). Although this title is somewhat less successful than others in the series, it still serves as a useful introduction to sperm whales.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Van Zyle creates seemingly boundless oceans, through which immense cetacean forms glide with ponderous grace, in this companion to Honey Paw and Lightfoot (1995) and London's other poetic introductions to rare wildlife. Here the author describes a young sperm whale's first years, from birth to weaning. As moons come and go, she "follows her mother like a shadow, / learning the rhythms of the sea," encountering dangerous orcas, growing, "spy-hopping, / lob-tailing, / breaching / then rolling over again," to nurse (up to 40 times a day, claims an appended note) until at last she is able to join the pod in feasting on a giant squid. An afterword and Reader's Guide (actually a teacher's guide, with suggested activities and questions) signal an instructional intention behind the book, but as with Tony Johnston's Whale Song (1987), evocatively illustrated by Ed Young, many children will be caught up by the wonder of these magnificent behemoths. John Peters

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Gift edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811824969
• ISBN-13: 978-0811824965
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 10.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,856,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The world of a baby whale, May 4, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Baby Whale's Journey (Endangered Species) (Hardcover)

"Baby Whale's Journey" is a truly magical and beautiful book for young readers. Jonathan London's compassionate and easy-to-read text blends perfectly with the majestic illustrations by Jon Van Zyle. Together, they tell the story of a baby sperm whale's life with her marine community.

The book is full of memorable images: the adult whales protecting the baby from orcas, the mother whale battling a giant squid, and mother and baby simply frolicking in their ocean habitat. Van Zyle's illustrations (most of which stretch across two-page spreads) are superb; Van Zyle is especially adept at capturing the marvelous play of light in the water. "Baby Whale's Journey" is educational, artistically impressive, and emotionally satisfying.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wondeful Story about A Mother and Baby Whale, November 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby Whale's Journey (Endangered Species) (Hardcover)

This is a great book for children to help them learn about Sperm Whales and provides children with an insight into life below the ocean waves. I would recomend this book to teachers who are looking for a book about Ocean Animals to share with their class. This would also be a good book for a mother to read to her daughter since it talks about the mother/daughter relationship of the whales in this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Avoid for sensitive children, April 1, 2008

By 

hollijoy (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Whale's Journey (Paperback)

I personally loved this book and story and thought my 4 year old could handle the plot. She loves whales and mama/baby animal stories so I was hopeful.

It was a complete disaster. She was so worried about the daddy whale disappearing and about the mama whale fighting, etc. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and then I was too. It was just awful.

This is a girl who has never cried about any book before, and we read a ton of them of a huge range of topics.

So, just a warning if you have a sensitive youngster!