"But her blubber also makes her a target
for whalers, who want to turn it into oil
and food.
They arrive in ships trailing black smoke,
their engines filling the water with a
RUMMMBLEEEEE
It's louder than any noise the whale has
ever heard, but she doesn't yet know to
avoid the unfamiliar sound - and the
ships that make it."
In their first picture book, Alex Boersma and Nick Pyenson spin an imagined tale of a bowhead whale. It is a research-based story and particularly well-crafted by two scientists who want their readers to know about climate change and the damage being done to the environment over time. The bowhead is the longest-living mammal in the world. Imagine the changes she has seen over the two centuries of life.
They begin their tale with the birth of a calf 'about 200 years ago ...' Explaining that she is not a typical whale due to species' longevity, they let readers know that she will always make her home in or near the Arctic. That gives her a very unique perspective on how her world will change through the next two centuries. The first boats seen don't bother the whales. Large, peculiar-looking, but not meant to harm the calf and her mother as they pull alongside.
The calf stays with her mother for a year, then ventures out on her own. As she goes, she grows to her full size. An awesome illustration at this point shows the whale swimming in the vast ocean - a tiny blip in this incredibly vast environment. She has her own calves, and lives peacefully. The blubber that helps her float and feed her young becomes a commodity for whalers who too soon arrive in noisy boats with murderous intentions.
Over the first 150 years, much changes. The story moves to 'about fifty years ago ...' Now, there are much bigger ships and oil drilling, all noisy and dangerous to the whale. Ships are above and below the surface, and the whale can no longer hear members of her family. It is a tremendously sad consequence of the changes taking place. Finally, the story moves to 'today ... '
Accurate illustrations are created using watercolor, gouache, and ink. They offer a clear view of the Arctic setting through the two hundred years. The changes that occur make readers aware of the impact of global warming and the growth in industry that threatens the whale's future. Open, ice-free ocean, oil spills, plastic litter, and fishing lines are all perils that the whale and her future family will face.
"She struggles to imagine what the world
will be like for her great-grandchildren,
200 more years into a murky future."
Back matter includes an authors’ note, further scientific facts about the bowhead, and historical facts on the life and creatures of the Arctic.
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