A Whale of the Wild Book Review AND GIVEAWAY


Book Review and Giveaway

A Whale of the Wild
Written by Rosanne Parry
Illustrated by Lindsay Moore
Publication: September 1, 2020


Enter for a chance to win a copy of Rosanne Parry’s A Whale of the Wild! (click the link above)

Five (5) winners receive:
• A copy of A Whale of the Wild, by Rosanne Parry

Giveaway begins September 1, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends September 15, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

Review
A Whale of the Wild is a powerful read. It is strangely captivating and emotional. I finished it this morning and have been trying to get my thoughts in order all day – this was different from what I normally read, and it hit me hard.

Parry combines research and imagination to take readers into the world of orcas in the Salish Sea. This middle-grade novel is narrated by a brother and sister orca who are traveling with their pod, or "kinship" as they call it, to hunt salmon when an earthquake hits and ultimately causes them to be separated from their pod. Now, an author could have written about an orca pod by outlining their hunting practices, physical traits, and means of communication and navigation. What Parry does by going into the mind of orcas Vega and Deneb is not only allow readers a personal experience of orca behavior, but also capture readers hearts. Man's pollution and poaching are palpable; nets, motors, and traps pose an immediate danger. As humans, we know that our actions impact the environment and other species; Parry helps us to see this from the perspective of wildlife. 

I am still struggling to classify this type of animal book. It's an adventure novel, with protagonists braving dangerous situations and struggling to survive. It's research-based; back matter will provide a wealth of information about orcas and the Salish Sea ecosystem. It's not an anthropomorphic animals-act-like-humans book. It's believable. Research demonstrates that orcas are intelligent and pass along traditions through generations (see National Geographic), and Parry writes in a way that I could imagine an orca viewing the world. For example: Orcas avoid "thing-carriers" with "biting ends" (cargo ships with large motors) and view humans as unsuited to swimming. They talk about sending out their "click-stream" to find food and sing to a baby about swimming side by side for safety. I didn't expect a book narrated by a wild animal to be so realistic and believable, but it is. Even if you aren't an animal story lover, this is worth looking at because it is so different from others that are out there.

A Whale of the Wild is a moving novel about orcas, survival, and dangerous adventures. The back of the book states that it is good as a read aloud, and I could certainly see myself reading this to a fifth-grade class. I recommend it and I look forward to reading it with T.

Disclosure: Per FTC guidelines, I disclose partnership with The Children's Book Review and HarperCollins Children's Books.

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