The Whale (Lighthouse Family) [Paperback]

Cynthia Rylant (Author), Preston McDaniels (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Lighthouse Family

Pandora, Seabold, Whistler, Lila, and Tiny have all been enjoying the love and comfort that being a family brings. It is a comfort they are unexpectedly reminded of when Whistler and Lila hear the cries of a lonely baby beluga whale named Sebastian. When they learn that he has lost his mama, the Lighthouse Family, with the help of a cranky but noble old cormorant named Huck, does all it can to bring Sebastian and his mother together again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-The Lighthouse family consists of Pandora, the cat; Seabold, the dog; and their adopted mice children, Whistler, Lila, and baby Tiny. In this adventure, Whistler and Lila help to reunite a baby beluga whale with his mother. While the characterizations are first rate and the sense of family harmony is stressed, the story is a bit thin and some of the dialogue seems strained. To help the tiny mice with the rescue, Rylant introduces Huck, the cormorant-"a soggy old bird" with a bad attitude. McDaniels's wonderful black-and-white graphite drawings capture the personalities of each of the animals. The layout and drawings are old-fashioned without being fussy and add needed drama to a somewhat simplistic story.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. In this sequel to Rylant's first Lighthouse family story, The Storm (2002), mouse children Lila and Whistler stumble across Sebastian, a lost baby beluga whale pining for his mother. At the suggestion of their own mother, Pandora the lighthouse cat, they enlist the help of Huck, a crotchety cormorant, who flies them over the ocean to locate Sebastian's mother, Honey. Rylant's strength is her creation of appealing characters that appreciate the security of home even as they yearn for adventures within safely defined boundaries. McDaniels' frequent graphite illustrations echo the warmth and coziness of the tale and add to the book's appeal. Rylant's choice of a flowery, formal writing style may be a problem for the intended audience ("Soon they would join their larger family, amid those happy calls with which lost ones are always welcomed home"), but children who appreciate the Beatrix Potter-like language will find this a pleasant first chapter book. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689848838
• ISBN-13: 978-0689848834
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Action & Adventure
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( R ) > Rylant, Cynthia
  • #35 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Adoption

More About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is the author of numerous distinguished novels and picture books for young readers. In addition to her beginning-reader series: Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby, as well as her Cobble Street Cousins early-chapter series, she is also the author of the Newbery Medal-winning Missing May, the Newbery Honor Book A Fine White Dust, and two Caldecott Honor-winning picture books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing New Book for Young Readers, September 28, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Whale (Lighthouse Family) (Paperback)

Pandora the cat; Seabold the dog; and Whistler, Lila, and Tiny, the orphaned mice, make-up the wonderful, Lighthouse Family. Together they live amongst each other in an old Lighthouse on the water, where they help to direct ships. However, one day Whistler and Lila hear the cries of a whale, a baby beluga whale named Sebastian, to be exact. Soon they have found that poor Sebastian has lost his Mother, and doesn't know where to find her. It's now up to Whistler and Lila, with the help of the rest of the Lighthouse Family, and a cranky old cormorant named Huck, to find Sebastian's Mother, and bring mama and baby together once again.

In this wonderful, adorable new series by Cynthia Rylant, we are introduced to various wonderful new animal characters, who are sure to rival those found in classics such as THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Each character is unique, and possesses his or her own quirks, yet they all share one thing in common, their love for each other, and caring nature. Filled with wonderful sketches by Preston McDaniels amongst almost every page, as well as a delightful plot that will please all young readers, THE WHALE is sure to be a hit.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read the Whole Series!, October 8, 2008

By 

Anne (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Whale (Lighthouse Family) (Paperback)

This book is a part of a wonderful series by Cynthia Rylant! I was struggling to find good read aloud chapter books to read to my girls (3 and 5) after picture books but before long books like Charlotte's Web. These are perfect for that in between time! The vocabulary is wonderful and the pictures are engaging. We read one short chapter each day. My girls woke up each morning asking to read from the books.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like this book., May 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Whale (The Lighthouse Family) (Hardcover)

This book is so cool! I love it. I like that there's a baby beluga in the book, and the cat and the dog and the mice. Because they keep the baby beluga company and they help him get home.