If you want to see a whale (edició 2013)

A little boy patiently seeks out a whale. The simple, peaceful color palette quietly evokes his pursuit. ( )

A little boy patiently seeks out a whale. The simple, peaceful color palette quietly evokes his pursuit. ( )

Another sweet picture book from this team. Not quite as wonderful to me as "and then it's spring," but there's still some lovely language and the illustrations are just charming. Probably geared toward a slightly older reader than Fogliano's first book as well. ( )

A child and his pet dog want to see a whale and explain all the things one needs to do (or not do) in order to see a whale. For instance, "if you want to see a whale / you shouldn't watch the clouds / some floating by, some hanging down / in the sky that's spread out, side to side / or the certain sun that's shining / because if you start to look straight up / you might just a miss whale".

With it's lack of traditional punctuation and narrative structure, this book reads much more like lyrical poetry than prose. Stead's full-color illustrations manage to be gentle yet striking at the same time, which seems to be her style.

I didn't find the book all that gripping personally, although the child I was reading it to (age 5, avid reader) did seem to be rather engrossed. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, although it certainly is a lovely product. ( )

The creators of A Sick Day for Amos McGee come together again for a thoughtful book concerning waiting, whales, and a bit of imagination. The illustrations are old-fashioned and delightful.