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The Fisherman & the Whale
Jessica Lanan’s dreamy and dramatic watercolor paintings bring to life a wordless story about wonder in the natural world.
A fisherman takes his son for a trip out on the water. When they encounter a whale entangled at sea, they realize a connection that transcends the animal kingdom.
A fisherman takes his son for a trip out on the water. When they encounter a whale entangled at sea, they realize a connection that transcends the animal kingdom.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published May 14, 2019
1 person is currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Lanan
14 books21 followersJessica Lanan is the author and illustrator of Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider and The Fisherman and the Whale, a Colorado Book Award finalist and winner of the Bull-Bransom Award for wildlife art. She has illustrated many other books including The Lost Package by Richard Ho, Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley and the upcoming Thank You Moon by Melissa Stewart. Jessica aims to help young readers discover the beauty and diversity of their world by creating picture books that are inspiring, accessible, and memorable. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
November 12, 2019
Although Jessica Lanan's picture book The Fisherman & the Whale depicts a both at first painful and then heartwarming wordless story of how one fisherman (and mostly at his young son's insistence) detangles a whale caught in and held fast by rogue fishing gear (and albeit that I have certainly found Lanan's illustrations both aesthetically luminous and emotionally charged), there are nevertheless two main and seriously problematic issues which I for one have encountered in The Fisherman & the Whale.
For one (and yes, even though that in her generally informative author's note, Jessica Lanan does attempt to explain why she has proceeded in this manner) I personally still do find it hugely problematic that in The Fisherman & the Whale the fisherman is depicted as simply diving into the ocean, swimming right up to the whale and then quite easily being able to by himself cut the tangled fishing gear off, as that in my opinion is extremely foolhardy behaviour at best, since yes, in almost ALL such entanglement cases, it generally requires many people working in tandem and indeed also often putting their own lives at risk as the whales they are trying to help will obviously be panicking and struggling (and for Jessica Lanan in The Fisherman & the Whale to draw the whale's rescue and disentanglement as something that really seems almost ridiculously easy to achieve is in my opinion rather majorly naive and also might make in particular the target audience, could make young children even believe that it is not really all that big a deal for whales to become entangled in fishing gear and to afterwards be rescued from this).
And for two and at least to and for me considerably more of a potential issue with The Fisherman & the Whale is that once the fisherman has cut the tangled fishing gear off of the struggling whale, he seems to just leave the gear in the ocean, he simply swims back to his boat but does not ever consider trying to locate and then remove the rogue fishing paraphernalia from the ocean (as sorry, but just leaving that gear in the water seems at best rather silly and thoughtless since it could in said state easily snag, entangle and hold fast other whales).
Therefore, even though I have indeed enjoyed The Fisherman & the Whale (as well as heartily appreciating the presented messages of helpfulness and responsibility) and definitely have found Jessica Lanan's pictures a true feast for my eyes, the fact and truth of the matter that the fisherman is depicted as both rescuing the whale by himself and dangerously swimming right up to the whale, and yes, that the fisherman also does not post his whale disentanglement salvage the offending fishing gear to permanently take it from the ocean, this has definitely and certainly rather lessened my enjoyment of The Fisherman & the Whale.
For one (and yes, even though that in her generally informative author's note, Jessica Lanan does attempt to explain why she has proceeded in this manner) I personally still do find it hugely problematic that in The Fisherman & the Whale the fisherman is depicted as simply diving into the ocean, swimming right up to the whale and then quite easily being able to by himself cut the tangled fishing gear off, as that in my opinion is extremely foolhardy behaviour at best, since yes, in almost ALL such entanglement cases, it generally requires many people working in tandem and indeed also often putting their own lives at risk as the whales they are trying to help will obviously be panicking and struggling (and for Jessica Lanan in The Fisherman & the Whale to draw the whale's rescue and disentanglement as something that really seems almost ridiculously easy to achieve is in my opinion rather majorly naive and also might make in particular the target audience, could make young children even believe that it is not really all that big a deal for whales to become entangled in fishing gear and to afterwards be rescued from this).
And for two and at least to and for me considerably more of a potential issue with The Fisherman & the Whale is that once the fisherman has cut the tangled fishing gear off of the struggling whale, he seems to just leave the gear in the ocean, he simply swims back to his boat but does not ever consider trying to locate and then remove the rogue fishing paraphernalia from the ocean (as sorry, but just leaving that gear in the water seems at best rather silly and thoughtless since it could in said state easily snag, entangle and hold fast other whales).
Therefore, even though I have indeed enjoyed The Fisherman & the Whale (as well as heartily appreciating the presented messages of helpfulness and responsibility) and definitely have found Jessica Lanan's pictures a true feast for my eyes, the fact and truth of the matter that the fisherman is depicted as both rescuing the whale by himself and dangerously swimming right up to the whale, and yes, that the fisherman also does not post his whale disentanglement salvage the offending fishing gear to permanently take it from the ocean, this has definitely and certainly rather lessened my enjoyment of The Fisherman & the Whale.
March 25, 2019
I got to see the final of this book early and WOW! A beautiful and poignant tale of a fisherman and his son who find a whale caught in a fishing net. Is it their net? You are not sure. Ghost nets are a real thing and with whales washing up deceased with stomachs filled with plastic... this book feels like a timely reminder of ways we can do better as a society to protect our whales and oceans.
In this wordless picture book, Jessica Lanan's illustrations speak for themselves. Her artwork has so much depth and is utterly captivating.
In this wordless picture book, Jessica Lanan's illustrations speak for themselves. Her artwork has so much depth and is utterly captivating.
January 11, 2020
Excellent illustrations, but I think the content leaves quite a bit to be desired. I like that she addresses some of the inaccurate visual content in the afterword, but just the idea of a person approaching an entangled whale is absolutely nuts. So dangerous! She addresses at the end, but even for the purposes of the narrative I didn't care for it.
June 3, 2019
Gorgeous illustrations. Hopeful message. Child who urges adult to do the right thing. (When are we adults going to start doing the right things on our own?)
October 14, 2019
This is a wordless picture book, and as such the artwork is brilliant in realism and dynamic effect.
I am in some conflict giving it a 4, instead of a 5 - always want to root for the amazing illustrations. It was these 5 details that made it a 4 for me:
1] I found it a little awkward when the page turned to see which way to turn it, felt like it should go the other way perhaps, although in one it seemed to work both vertically and horizontally so an illustration choice perhaps to not tip it the way we would normally want to turn it to see lengthwise.
2] While appreciating the author's note and intentions, I found it addressed adults more than its intended audience of children, and came off a bit pedantic. Reading this right after my experience of the book, it changed my feeling of the book experience. I wondered if having a possible page between or a shorter note, or reference to read more would have been better. Of course, a parent could skip or translate into their own words, but I wish it had already been done here.
3] The father saves the whale.
The child has the important role of instigator, and I do like how he is worried about his father, the impact seen in his father's return to the boat, and this increases the anxiety, but gives little agency to the child character or the vicarious child reader. I prefer to see a child gain the greater level of agency where they can - a picture book - and then give them the truth of the dangers in real life in discussion. I do respectfully agree there are dangers, and in accepting that others may disagree with this ideology.
4] A niggly point perhaps, but when the father looks at his watch, this seemed a small argument for a huge issue. The impending storm was a real concern. Perhaps if he had pointed at the clouds, it could have read as true concern to me. Perhaps this was his meaning, why there was no time, but with a wordless story we are left to interpret. This minor point made me dislike the father until he saved the whale. I didn't want to dislike him. I wanted to be with him 100% in his fight.
5] This one, I tried very hard to not consider, and think only of this book as it stands alone. Because I do still love this book 90%... However, close behind reading this book, I read Mordecai Gerstein's book The Boy and the Whale, published 2 years earlier - 2017, which is basically the same story. I preferred his story because the words really impacted me and brought up many perspectives of the personal dilemmas faced by fishermen.
I suggest you share both books with your children or classes, and then watch the video, do more research. Talk about our planet, the dangers to whales, how rescues are usually done more safely, what can be done about the nets? Are their safer nets to catch fish? What do whales bring to our world? [recent topics include how they reduce carbon emissions].
So feel free to consider this book a 5 if you like. It is definitely a valuable addition to the story of whales and our need to protect them, but also check out the Gerstein book. [I have also reviewed that book with detailed reasons for my preferences, and I shared this book in that review as well].
Gerstein shares he was inspired by a real life video - view the videos marked Saving Valentina at https://greatwhaleconservancy.org/vid...
I am in some conflict giving it a 4, instead of a 5 - always want to root for the amazing illustrations. It was these 5 details that made it a 4 for me:
1] I found it a little awkward when the page turned to see which way to turn it, felt like it should go the other way perhaps, although in one it seemed to work both vertically and horizontally so an illustration choice perhaps to not tip it the way we would normally want to turn it to see lengthwise.
2] While appreciating the author's note and intentions, I found it addressed adults more than its intended audience of children, and came off a bit pedantic. Reading this right after my experience of the book, it changed my feeling of the book experience. I wondered if having a possible page between or a shorter note, or reference to read more would have been better. Of course, a parent could skip or translate into their own words, but I wish it had already been done here.
3] The father saves the whale.
The child has the important role of instigator, and I do like how he is worried about his father, the impact seen in his father's return to the boat, and this increases the anxiety, but gives little agency to the child character or the vicarious child reader. I prefer to see a child gain the greater level of agency where they can - a picture book - and then give them the truth of the dangers in real life in discussion. I do respectfully agree there are dangers, and in accepting that others may disagree with this ideology.
4] A niggly point perhaps, but when the father looks at his watch, this seemed a small argument for a huge issue. The impending storm was a real concern. Perhaps if he had pointed at the clouds, it could have read as true concern to me. Perhaps this was his meaning, why there was no time, but with a wordless story we are left to interpret. This minor point made me dislike the father until he saved the whale. I didn't want to dislike him. I wanted to be with him 100% in his fight.
5] This one, I tried very hard to not consider, and think only of this book as it stands alone. Because I do still love this book 90%... However, close behind reading this book, I read Mordecai Gerstein's book The Boy and the Whale, published 2 years earlier - 2017, which is basically the same story. I preferred his story because the words really impacted me and brought up many perspectives of the personal dilemmas faced by fishermen.
I suggest you share both books with your children or classes, and then watch the video, do more research. Talk about our planet, the dangers to whales, how rescues are usually done more safely, what can be done about the nets? Are their safer nets to catch fish? What do whales bring to our world? [recent topics include how they reduce carbon emissions].
So feel free to consider this book a 5 if you like. It is definitely a valuable addition to the story of whales and our need to protect them, but also check out the Gerstein book. [I have also reviewed that book with detailed reasons for my preferences, and I shared this book in that review as well].
Gerstein shares he was inspired by a real life video - view the videos marked Saving Valentina at https://greatwhaleconservancy.org/vid...
March 1, 2023
There Are No Words (literally) to do this book justice…
Illustrations are incredible and prove that a picture is worth far more than 1,000 words. Beautifully done and an absolute treasure,
Illustrations are incredible and prove that a picture is worth far more than 1,000 words. Beautifully done and an absolute treasure,
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November 8, 2019Summary:
A whale is trapped by a fishing net. While the whale is trapped, a boy and his Dad are out in the ocean fishing. The little boy see's the whale and asks the Dad if they could go help him. At first the Dad says no, but the child begs until the Dad says yes and they go over to help the whale. The Dad jumps into the water with the whale and cuts the fishing net. The whale is saved.
Evaluation:
I loved this book. The amazing Illustrations told the story in a way that I never thought imaginable. I always assumed that wordless pictures books would be boring or not make sense and that's not the case at all. I would recommend this book to all ages (K-5) because I think each student individually can get something from it.
Teaching Point:
I think a teacher could teach inferring with this wordless picture book. The teacher could start by showing the students the pictures once, then discuss the comprehension strategy inferring. Then the students could look at the book and "infer" about what's happening in it. Lastly, the students could write their own story based on the sequence of pictures they see.
A whale is trapped by a fishing net. While the whale is trapped, a boy and his Dad are out in the ocean fishing. The little boy see's the whale and asks the Dad if they could go help him. At first the Dad says no, but the child begs until the Dad says yes and they go over to help the whale. The Dad jumps into the water with the whale and cuts the fishing net. The whale is saved.
Evaluation:
I loved this book. The amazing Illustrations told the story in a way that I never thought imaginable. I always assumed that wordless pictures books would be boring or not make sense and that's not the case at all. I would recommend this book to all ages (K-5) because I think each student individually can get something from it.
Teaching Point:
I think a teacher could teach inferring with this wordless picture book. The teacher could start by showing the students the pictures once, then discuss the comprehension strategy inferring. Then the students could look at the book and "infer" about what's happening in it. Lastly, the students could write their own story based on the sequence of pictures they see.
October 30, 2019
A wordless book about a fisherman and his son who accidently catch a whale and try to help him. Nice author afterward. Elementary and up
October 31, 2019
The Fisherman & the Whale by Jessica Lanan. PICTURE BOOK. Simon & Schuster, 2019. $18. 9781534415744.
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL(K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
In a wordless story told in beautiful watercolors, a boy and his fisherman father notice a large baleen whale caught in fishing line. The father swims out and frees the whale from the nets and tackle.
I'm blanking on titles, but I have previously seen a few different books telling a story nearly identical to this. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is easy to follow, but there is still not a lot to recommend this. I appreciate the author's note that actually points out how dangerous--and in many cases illegal--it is to actually approach a whale in the water. The message is obviously one of being environmentally-conscious and trying to protect whales, but as a story that will interest kids it feels very much like a one-time read and never needing to look at it again.
Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL(K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
In a wordless story told in beautiful watercolors, a boy and his fisherman father notice a large baleen whale caught in fishing line. The father swims out and frees the whale from the nets and tackle.
I'm blanking on titles, but I have previously seen a few different books telling a story nearly identical to this. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is easy to follow, but there is still not a lot to recommend this. I appreciate the author's note that actually points out how dangerous--and in many cases illegal--it is to actually approach a whale in the water. The message is obviously one of being environmentally-conscious and trying to protect whales, but as a story that will interest kids it feels very much like a one-time read and never needing to look at it again.
Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
June 16, 2019
A wordless picture book showing what happens when a fisherman takes his son out on a fishing trip and they find a whale in trouble. They don't leave but try to rescue the animal. The pictures lead the story and show what they try and would be fun to have a child tell what they think is happening and why.
October 7, 2019
A wordless fable on fishing and the danger it poses for animals like whales. In the story the fisherman and his son save a whale caught in the net. The author cautions that this is a story and not they way it should be handled in real life.
June 21, 2019
A fisherman and his son ensnare a whale in their creel line while fishing for lobster, prawns and crabs. This wordless book shows the effort it takes to free the whale, and the environmental hazards and harm that can occur in commercial fishing.
May 21, 2019
A cinematic, compelling, wordless tale. See also The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein.
December 12, 2019
meh, far fetched
September 4, 2019
Wordless picture book with gorgeous illustrations. Lofty message for a children’s picture book but since it’s wordless it can be adapted to any audience.
October 1, 2019
I was immediately drawn to this book because it reminded me of Sophie Blackwell's 2019 Caldecott winning, "Hello Lighthouse." I was unaware that this picture book was wordless, but just from the title spread I was hooked. The illustrations are the story, so it is a good thing that they were done so wonderfully. Lanan used watercolor and gouache on Saunders Waterford paper and affectively varies between illustration coverage, including full spread, circular sectioned, full page, and even a few vertical spreads. The story follows a dad and son who are fishing together when the son spots a whale tangled in creel lines. The father is on a time crunch, but he looks into the whale's eyes and decides to jump in and cut the lines. The father reunites with the son and the whale reunites with its family. The story ends as they cheer in front of a beautiful sunset. Jessica Lanan leaves a note at the end about the impact humans have on the environment and the harm done to the ocean and wildlife. Despite the picture book being wordless, I think this would make for a wonderful "read aloud" for all elementary school age students. The pictures tell a powerful story and pull emotions and empathy from its readers. Students could use this book in a number of activities, including writing their own dialogue between the father and son or discussing environmental science. This is definitely a contender for the 2020 Caldecott Medal, reminiscent of previous winner Blackwell's illustrations and the wordlessness of previous honor Aaron Becker's, "Journey." I recommend this book and am immediately adding it to my personal library.
October 8, 2019
This story about a man and a younger boy, who we presume to be his son, going on a fishing trip. We are able to gain insight on two different situations occurring in the story simultaneously, as the father and son fish, there is a whale who is getting caught up in the fishing equipment and won't be able to escape on his own. The son takes notice of this and tries his best to alert his father, who isn't aware of the gravity of the situation at first. There is a very powerful moment in this story where the father and the whale make eye contact when the father finally figures out what is truly happening. He knows he must help, so he jumps into the ocean and detangles the whale from the fishing equipment. The book ends with a happy and thankful whale swimming off. I think the overall message of this book is a powerful one about conservation and doing one's best to right their wrongs. Finding oneself eye and eye with an animal, identifying with it, and doing what we can to help also comes to my mind when regarding this book. It is amazing to me that someone could pull together such a grand story using only illustrations, it's quite beautiful. Because it has no words, this could be another book to use in an inferencing lesson, or maybe even a lesson about conservation.
July 29, 2022
Absolutely GORGEOUS art, truly top notch, a joy to look at!!! But this is completely wordless, which I did not realize when I picked it up. I'm not a fan of wordless picture books. For me, a great picture book is the perfect blending of wonderful art with wonderful words. This book only has half of that.
art: 5 stars
lack of words: -2 stars
In the Author's Note, she cautions people to never try to rescue a whale alone, like the fisherman does in this book, but to always call the authorities. And that was certainly what was going through my head as I was looking at this! I was quite nervous for the fisherman!! And I have to wonder why she didn't just SHOW the fisherman calling in the Coast Guard and then show them arriving right away and saving the whale?
art: 5 stars
lack of words: -2 stars
In the Author's Note, she cautions people to never try to rescue a whale alone, like the fisherman does in this book, but to always call the authorities. And that was certainly what was going through my head as I was looking at this! I was quite nervous for the fisherman!! And I have to wonder why she didn't just SHOW the fisherman calling in the Coast Guard and then show them arriving right away and saving the whale?
June 28, 2019
What a gorgeous wordless book! The colors, the perspectives, the suspense. There are so many beautiful and very memorable spreads! My four year old son is an animal lover and was CAPTIVATED by this book. He actively narrated each spread as we turned the pages together and then "reread" The Fisherman and the Whale three more times immediately after. I think he's as big of a fan as his mom is!
July 30, 2019
What can I say? Stunning. Gorgeous. A lovely wordless tale about the connection between a fisherman, his son and a whale. A parable for our times. The back matter makes it clear that this is not a how to on whale rescue and that trained professionals should do it. Kids have an instant connection to the story. They can tell it along with you since the book is wordless. Don't miss this one. One of my Top Ten Nature Books of 2018 & 19.
August 18, 2019
With lush paintings that could hang in a gallery next to Winslow Homer works and not a single word (except for the excellent back matter), author-illustrator Jessica Lanan shares a touching tale of a deep connection between human and cetacean. I believe the key to saving our world is to foster inter- and intra-species empathy and this book provides a way to show kids how. While it’s a picture book, it is also beautiful enough to be a coffee table book!
January 19, 2021
It's funny that I am writing on a book review on a wordless book. This was truly delightful for the 4 year old, the 12 year old, and the 49 year old. I think the wordlessness of the book only added to the desire for the reader to understand the effects of human thoughtlessness and consequential damage on ocean life. Yet there is a type of redemption in the story that all humans can make though care and empathy toward injured and trapped sea animals.
June 25, 2019
The wordless book captures the beauty of the ocean and the reality of human impact on the wild creatures of the ocean. The illustrations in this book are stunning. It is a great book to begin a discussion on environmental impact. An author’s note in the end gives some context for young readers and leads them to more information. Highly recommend.
July 29, 2019
Breathtaking watercolors paint a touching tale of empathy and humanity’s impact on the natural world—both harmful and helpful. A father and son on a fishing boat encounter a whale tangled in fishing lines. At the urging of his son, the father dives in to free the whale, and earns a spectacular display of gratitude in return. A beautiful book in every way!
August 2, 2019
Loved! Beautiful wordless story that would appeal to animal lovers, aspiring environmentalists, and really any empathetic person. The close-ups on the facial expressions of the whale and the people are particularly evocative. The author's note is an important explanation of the best/safest ways to help our planet and should be included in any sharing of this story.
September 26, 2019
Tale of grand proportions: the greatest gestures we can make to protect those who might initially seem beyond our reach, with illustrations that intentionally reflect the great depths of a child’s capacity to care. And yet, there’s a stillness, a silence that is so suiting. Not always that a wordless book can captivate both child and adult reader.
November 26, 2019
Illustrations are beautiful. Loved the way she depicted water--its depth and nuances of color, etc. Some nice angles and unique perspectives represented too. But the story... the author says this is more of a fable, but it didn't really read that way until the moralizing author's note. Didn't quite work for me.
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December 1, 2019Summary: This wordless book takes you on a journey with a fisherman and his son. What will happen when they encounter a great whale?
Evaluation: This book was emotionally moving. It was beautiful without words.
Teaching Idea: I would use this book when talking with my students about different ways to communicate. It is a great example of nonverbal communication.
Evaluation: This book was emotionally moving. It was beautiful without words.
Teaching Idea: I would use this book when talking with my students about different ways to communicate. It is a great example of nonverbal communication.
January 20, 2021
A fisherman and his son encounter a whale entangled in someone else's old fishing lines. The fisherman saves the whale by cutting him loose.
Several things in the story were severely simplified.
This is supposed to be a story of relationships across species and also a story about the dangers of leaving trash/unwanted things in the ocean.
Several things in the story were severely simplified.
This is supposed to be a story of relationships across species and also a story about the dangers of leaving trash/unwanted things in the ocean.
October 8, 2024
There were no words to this book but the images said everything. I loved the creativity that there went't any words. This would be great when teaching kids to look for context clues in pictures as well as interpret what occurs next in the story. I love the storyline behind this book and what exactly it has to offer!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews