The Secret Life of Whales Book Review

The Secret Life of Whales
By Rena Ortega
Published by Thames and Hudson, June 1, 2021

Review

The Secret Life of Whales is splendid.

T may not have selected this his "Pick of the Week" since he didn't read it independently, but he was enthusiastic about me reading to him, evidenced by his frequent interruptions to discussing the whales, compare content to documentaries, and point out details in the illustrations. The Secret Life of Whales offers novel information for us, such as how many blowholes different types of whales have, and augments the knowledge we already hold, like orcas' diet. As a family, we've talked about going whale watching when T is old enough to enjoy the experience, and he is now eager to see these marine mammals himself.

The Secret Life of Whales goes beyond the toothed vs. baleen basics I recall learning in school. Readers will learn elementary diet, migration, and reproduction timeline, but also discover the nuances of tail shape and whale songs. The book itself is long, but the text in each two-page spread is appropriate to youngsters' short attention spans. We initially read the book in chunks over the course of three days. Each time I asked if T wanted to read some more about whales, his response was an eager, "Yes!" Ortega artfully describes the whales bodies, lives, habitats, habits, and threats; text and illustration offer readers a comprehensive understanding of whales. 

The Secret Life of Whales is another super-star non-fiction offering. 

Note: A review copy was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All thoughts are our own.

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