Starred review from March 11, 2024
Magnificent watercolor and gouache spreads by Caldecott Medalist Chin capture the grace of a blue whale in life alongside the bustling ecosystem that surrounds it in death, as its body provides nourishment for countless creatures that “will feed, grow, have babies, and thrive on the body of this whale.” In illuminating prose and sidebars, Brunelle (Turn This Book into a Beehive!) describes a blue whale’s life, size, and krill diet, then chronicles final moments as, after 90 years, “her heart quiets and finally stops.” A respectful beat later, the death represents “the end of one story” and “the beginning of another,” in which the whale’s body “will provide shelter and food for millions of creatures.” After birds and fish feed on the carcass, and it sinks to the ocean floor, four phases distinguish the ecosystem that grows up around it. Subsequent pages detail the yearslong first process, in which scavengers feast on the muscle and fat tissue; the two-year second process, in which smaller creatures graze on the remains; and the microscopic subsequent processes, which eventually feed the krill eaten by another young blue whale. Against a background of inky darkness that makes it easy to feel the cold and silence of the ocean floor, the work meticulously and sensitively portrays the countless sea creatures sustained by a single carcass over more than a century. It’s a thoughtful breakdown of death supporting life and a brilliant exposition of the way that populations grow and are sustained. Ample back matter concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary.
April 1, 2024
Infused with wonder, an account of a natural cycle that occurs, mostly, far below the ocean's surface. Moving "with grace and power, like a dancer," a blue whale "whirls above and below the currents of the Pacific Ocean" until she dies a natural death. (Brunelle explains that the wax buildup in the whale's ear reveals that she died at age 90.) Floating for a time and then sinking slowly to the bottom, her decomposing body will for a century or more feed and house millions of scavengers and those that prey on them, from sharks and seabirds to teeming species of worms, crabs, clams, and other deep-sea dwellers. Not only do entire ecosystems develop in overlapping phases on her flesh and then bones, but released nitrates and other nutrients flow back up toward the surface on spring currents to feed the krill that in turn nourish new generations of blue whales. Brunelle's prose is both lucid and poetic, while Caldecott-winning illustrator Chin depicts all of these changes in precise but lyrical ways, beginning with views of the living whale arcing majestically through sunlit waters; the artist goes on to show the body resting on the dark, mysterious seafloor as its bones are exposed and scattered by busy hordes of feeders both large and microscopic. The author fills in more details about blue whales and recaps the whole sequence of decomposition at the end, before closing with leads to both print and web resources on whales and whale falls. Grand and engrossing. (Informational picture book. 6-9)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
April 1, 2024
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* This astounding picture book designed for middle-grade readers does an especially effective job of describing what happens when a 90-year-old blue whale, the largest creature on earth, dies and becomes a source of nourishment for other organisms for another 150 years. The book begins with the whale's final days, with vivid descriptions of how blue whales feed (in one gulp, ""she swallows enough krill to fill a school bus"") and explanations of how wax buildups in her ears document the story of her life (annual migrations, pregnancies, food availability, climate change). As her heart stops and she begins drifting towards the depths, accessible text describes how her body begins to break down, providing nourishment for hundreds of different animals, from sea birds and sharks that attack her body near the surface to the generations of deep-sea critters that will feast on her remains for years, creating new food chains and a new ecosystem. The content seamlessly integrates technical vocabulary, marine biology, and chemistry; Chin's meticulous watercolor illustrations carefully align and support the text, and rich back matter will appeal to researchers. More sophisticated than 2023's Whale Fall by Melissa Stewart, both offerings respectfully convey the majesty and awe of these events.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
May 1, 2024
As a ninety-year-old blue whale dies, one story ends and another begins. Her body provides food for other creatures before it gradually descends to the depths of the ocean floor. But it doesn't stop there: her body will sustain life of one kind or another for the next few hundred years. Small marine animals, from fish to crabs to octopuses, pick the skeleton bare before another wave of animals moves in. Eventually, rich nutrients seep into the water, and that water is carried to the surface, where it nourishes krill, the major food source for blue whales. Brunelle's engaging voice strikes the right balance between narration and exposition, while the book design adroitly places her text judiciously across double-page spreads and into sidebar columns. Chin's (The Universe in You, rev. 1/23) always-exquisite watercolors thus dominate the layouts in a variety of double-page spreads, spot illustrations, and thumbnails -- even as supplemental maps, models, and cross-sections effortlessly convey complex visual information. Back matter includes more information about blue whales, marine ecosystems, and the four distinct phases of a whale fall. Recommended resources and a select bibliography are appended as well. Dedicated enthusiasts may also want to seek out Stewart and Dunlavey's Whale Fall (rev. 1/23). Jonathan Hunt
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from July 1, 2024
Gr 2-4-Little is known about occurrences out in the open waters of the ocean, but this title tackles what happens when a whale dies. Brunelle opens by introducing a blue whale and helping readers understand its size and life span; things take a really compelling turn when the whale dies and the story of the decomposition of the body of the largest mammal on Earth begins. In meticulous detail, the narrative covers the eye-opening descent of the whale's body to the ocean bottom, and then how scavengers feast on it. Finally, Brunelle makes connections between the decomposition process and the food cycle that, when complete, will supply nutrients to the next generation of whales. Chin's iridescent and highly detailed images are the perfect counterpoint to the absorbing text. This book is ideal for young readers who love simple, clear facts about animals or for older readers who will find the decomposition process fascinating. Educators will also appreciate the clear organization and descriptive writing style. VERDICT An excellent addition to any elementary library collection.-Debbie Tanner
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2024
As a ninety-year-old blue whale dies, one story ends and another begins. Her body provides food for other creatures before it gradually descends to the depths of the ocean floor. But it doesn't stop there: her body will sustain life of one kind or another for the next few hundred years. Small marine animals, from fish to crabs to octopuses, pick the skeleton bare before another wave of animals moves in. Eventually, rich nutrients seep into the water, and that water is carried to the surface, where it nourishes krill, the major food source for blue whales. Brunelle's engaging voice strikes the right balance between narration and exposition, while the book design adroitly places her text judiciously across double-page spreads and into sidebar columns. Chin's (The Universe in You, rev. 1/23) always-exquisite watercolors thus dominate the layouts in a variety of double-page spreads, spot illustrations, and thumbnails -- even as supplemental maps, models, and cross-sections effortlessly convey complex visual information. Back matter includes more information about blue whales, marine ecosystems, and the four distinct phases of a whale fall. Recommended resources and a select bibliography are appended as well. Dedicated enthusiasts may also want to seek out Stewart and Dunlavey's Whale Fall (rev. 1/23).
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)