Customer Reviews

The Whales' Song

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The paintings in this book are luminous. They make the child believe there is wonder in the world. I think this book can be enjoyed by young children. My daughter is two, and she loves it. She is quite moved by the paintings.

"Once upon a time... the ocean was filled with whales. They were as big as the hills. They were as peaceful as the moon."

So begins Lilly's grandmother, who goes on to tell her young granddaughter about a time not all that long ago, when she was a girl herself... a time when whales still sang and danced in the ocean.

In the length of a picture story, author Dyan Sheldon has succeeded in creating a haunting, unforgettable glimpse into a future that might come to be. She makes our hearts ache for a loss we haven't realized yet. Her poetic, evocative text delivers a powerful message, yet is never preachy.

Equally powerful are the stunning oil paintings of illustrator Gary Blythe. His Lilly is so astonishingly real, one can almost feel the warmth of her cheeks, the softness of her dark curls, the breath from her lips as she sleeps open-mouthed in moonlight. Blythe is equally at home depicting a convincingly detailed and cluttered sitting room, as he is offering a lonely beach occupied only by a single sea shell.

The Whales' Song is a power house of a book for all ages - an absolute gem.

I love reading this story to children at the Seattle Aquarium, and inserting their names at the pivotal points as the whales call out. This is a vivid story with beautiful illustrations. The story appeals to all young children, and especially little girls, as they relate to the main character. Sheldon introduces some gentle reminders of caring for whales for more than their meat, and then poetically and imaginatively shows us what it means to be friends with the whale. This is a story filled with magical realism, and I highly recommend it for ages 3 through 7.

When we first read this book, we played the sound of the whales for our 7 year old son Constantin, so he could relate to the story and its magic. The illustrations are beautiful and very powerful. This book also presents a lovely relationship between a little girl and her grandmother, both of them dreamers and believers who disregard whoever makes fun of them and their ideas. We read this book in Spanish and liked it so much that ordered it in English.

I bought this book over ten years ago while living in London as a student. Now, married with 3 children, it is a family favorite. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the story is told in a magical tone. We love to whisper the words on the last page -it always captivates the kids. The part of the story that discusses the purposes of the whale long ago is a bit advanced for small children, but for the older ones it promoted conversation & learning. Buy this book in hardcover to ensure it lasts longer. A WONDERFUL MUST-HAVE for anyone with an imagination!!

I have purchased this book for all my nieces. We read this book over and over again and it never ceases to lose it charm and its ability to touch the heart. It is our favorite and will be saved in our family to read to future children.

Cindy S. Bartels

Even though it is not long, it so beautiful, magical, the paintings are gorgeous the story is so touching. Also a reminder of how precious our earth is

I bought this book to use in a whale section I was doing in a literacy class. It wasn't gripping enough for that and the graphics were beautiful but not what I really needed. However, if I had a young person who was into whales or into Grandma tales it would have been perfect. A young person wanting to have a whale song connection with whales would probably enjoy this.

This is a great children's book for any little girl or boy interested in whales. It has a cute simple story - the reading level is probably 1st or 2nd grade, but can be happily read to 3 yrs and up. Really beautiful illustrations

This story is about the beauty of whales, yet it has aspects that refer back to the economic value that whaling had before the days of petroleum products and over killing. Lilly is a young girl who lives by the ocean and her grandmother is telling her the story of the whales. How peaceful they are and how she would watch them and occasionally even hear them singing to her. Lilly's great-uncle Frederick provides the counterpoint, calling the grandmother's stories about whales silly and pointing out how important they were for meat, bones and blubber to create whale oil for lamps.

Lilly is told that she needed to offer the whales something, so one day she throws a yellow flower into the ocean. After waiting, she gives up and goes home to bed. However, during the night the whales call to her and she goes to the seashore where she sees the whales and hears them saying her name.

Humans know very little about whales, their social structure or even their level of intelligence. Therefore, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that humans could learn a great deal from whales. While that is not the main premise of this book, it does point out that there is much to admire and respect about whales and the role they have in the ecosystem of the world.