Baby Whale Rescue: The True Story of J. J.

by Caroline Arnold, Richard Hewett

Describes how J.J., a baby gray whale born off the California coast and separated from her mother, was rescued, nursed back to health at SeaWorld in San Diego, and returned to the open sea.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 1999

Reviews

[Ann]

I love whales already, so, obviously I was going to be intrigued by the story of J.J. a week-old gray whale who got separated from her mother and found along a southern California beach, rescued and released back into the wild (don't worry, the "ending" is given away on page one ;>).

The storytelling itself isn't anything amazing, and the pictures aren't uniquely breathtaking, but for the type of story it is I think the book is more than adequate: the flow is good, the pictures are informative, and you can't help but feel for little J.J. and the people who help her recover.

It's a book I would have been fascinated by as a child, and frankly still am a little bit. Plus, it's a great reminder that we can make a difference, and that it's never too late to hope.

[Julianna]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Baby Whale Rescue is the true story of J. J., a baby gray whale that was found struggling and near death at Marina del Rey beach in Los Angeles. She was rescued and taken to Sea World where she was nursed back to health for many months before being released back into the wild. The story details these months from the moment of her rescue until she was placed back into the ocean. There was a lot involved in keeping her alive from feeding her specially made formula until she could eat solid food to teaching her how to hunt for her own food and making sure she recognized the calls of other gray whales. For part of her time at Sea World, she also became a popular attraction. Then when she was big enough to go back to her wild home, there was a lot involved in getting such a huge creature moved to the ocean.

Overall, Baby Whale Rescue was an interesting story that would be great for kids who enjoy animals. Although it is a picture book, the narrative is longer and more involved with a number of advanced words that would be more appropriate for older elementary age students who are learning to be more proficient with reading. The fact that the book is about an animal—and a baby animal at that—might give it appeal to younger kids, too, for a read-aloud story time with parents or educators. However, it might not hold their attention as well. The main reason I dropped the star is because I felt that the writing could have been a little more engaging and accessible for younger readers. But kids who love animals will probably be impressed with some of the fun facts, such as J. J.’s size and how much she could eat every day.

[Peter]

Two children non-fiction writers, Caroline Arnold, and Richard Hewett 1999’s book, Baby Whale Rescue: The True Story of J.J. is about the nursing back to the health of a female grey whale calf, known as J.J. at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, in 1997 and early 1998. J.J. had got separated from her mother off the coast of California, soon after birth. JJ’s mother was taking part in the annual migration of gray whales from off coastal Alaska to Baja California. JJ become stranded at a beach in Los Angeles, California. Arnold and Hewett write that J.J. “was exhausted, hungry, and near death” (1). J.J. was taken to SeaWorld to be nursed back to health until she was big and healthy enough to look after herself in the open ocean. Baby Whale Rescue contains many photographs in color of J.J., the rehabilitation process, and other related activities and places. Eleven of the pictures were taken by Hewett himself. The photographs do a good job illustrating the context of the text. Baby Whale Rescue is a good introduction to gray whales and the process of whale rehabilitation. My siblings and I enjoyed Baby Whale Rescue when we were younger. The book is also a good refresher when a person is older.