My Friend Whale [Hardcover]

Simon James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1991

A child's enjoyment of a whale in the sea near his home ceases when the whale is suddenly never seen again. A final page emphasizes the necessity of preserving whales.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Delightful... An imaginative tale... drawn in a simple but effective style." The Independent; "A wonderfully imaginative tale which delivers a very powerful message." Practical Parenting; "A sensitive introduction to the plight of whales." The Worldwide Fund for Nature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Simon James is the author and illustrator of many bestselling picture books, including Sally and the Limpet, Dear Greenpeace, The Wild Woods, The Birdwatchers; Little One Step and Leon and Bob, which was a Smarties Book Prize Silver Award Winner. He has also compiled and illustrated a collection of small poems, Days Like This. Simon says of his work, "I like to capture a large world and at the same time give the reader the sense of being drawn in to an intimate moment or place." Simon lives in Plymouth, Devon. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553070657
• ISBN-13: 978-0553070651
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,889,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No hope in this book, September 11, 2010

By 

Julia Fiskin (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Friend Whale (Paperback)

This books starts out wonderfully and has beautiful illustrations. Unfortunately I did not read it all the way though before reading it to my two year old son. At the end of what was a playful, beautiful, informative story, the whale never comes back. The boy is left hanging and so is the reader. I understand that the book wants to impart a message about the wonder of nature and the possibility of the loss of amazing species like the blue whale, but it is way too heavy for young kids - or even adults for that matter. There is no explanation, no moral, no hope. I got to the end (not expecting that it really was the end), looked up and my son had silent tears streaming down his face. He has been asking about the whale for two days now. Too heavy!