Customer Reviews

Peg and the Whale

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This engaging, infectious tall tale is lots of fun. It's a rollicking story about a girl who sets out to be the world's best fisherman and catch a whale. Undeterred by the fact that it's a mammal, she hooks one with her fishing rod, and ends up taken for a ride. She makes herself at home in the whale's belly, keeps warm in the Arctic by singing sea shanties, and eventually steers the whale home. The tale's outrageous tone never falters and Peg is so brash and insistent that she's believable, despite the outlandishness of her story.

My kids love this book, and several phrases ("a pox on those scurvy harpoons!" and "nantucket sleigh ride") have become standard family lingo in a short period of time. The story is a fun tall tale, and the pictures charming. Other than the aforementioned phrases, the writing could be crisper and more elegant, but it's held up reasonably well to re-reading every night for a couple weeks now, so that's better than most.