Dario and the Whale

by Cheryl Lawton Malone, Bistra Masseva (Illustrator)

CCBC Choices 2017
Little Free Library Action Book Club, Young Readers

A lonely boy spending his first summer at Cape Cod and a right whale calf who has migrated to the area with his mother become unlikely friends.

When Dario and his mother move to Cape Cod from Brazil, Dario has a hard time making friends since he doesn't speak English well. But one day Dario meets someone else who has just arrived in New England and he doesn't speak any English at all…because he's a right whale! Day after day Dario and the whale meet at the beach. But what will happen when it's time for the whale to migrate?

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Friendship, Childrens, Storytime, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Cheryl Lawton Malone spent much of her youth migrating with her family to places like The Hague and London. She was a biotech attorney for 25 years before she decided to write full-time. Following the award of her MFA from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, she taught creative writing at Lesley and at Grub Street in Boston, and now writes and consults from her home in MA. She has an amazing husband, three grown children, a gorgeous grandson, and two Irish Wheaten terriers that give her an excuse to travel to Ireland whenever she can. Her debut picture book, the acclaimed Dario and the Whale (Albert Whitman) released in 2016, followed by Elephants Walk Together (Albert Whitman, 2017). In 2023, she'll launch her newest picture book, Featherita (Pegasus Publishers), and along with kidlit best-seller, Victoria J. Coe, a new creative venture called Write On Productions, with its first project, the easy-to-follow self-guided course: Writing Kidlit 101. You can find out more about Cheryl at https://linktr.ee/cheryl.lawtonmalon.

Reviews

[Dario]

I love this book also the character Dario is my name

[Selena]

Fiction, 2016. A boy befriends a whale on his move to a new place which exemplifies his difficulty making friends and finding comfort in a new environment, very lighthearted and what a lot of us wish we could do in tough times.

[Sarah Donovan]

I am not sure I like how the migrant whale was being compared to a migrant Latino working family who moves to the Cape to work in a restaurant each Spring. I did think that Dario and the whale's friendship was precious, however.

[Lilly]

Diverse Literature. Dario and the Whale is a story about a boy and his mother who move to cape cod from Brazil for the spring and Dario has a difficult time making new friends due to the language barrier. The story continues to show the struggle of Dario making friends not only because of the language but because of the difference in interest due to the diversity. Dario tries to play soccer with other children but they would all prefer to play baseball, making it even harder for him to meet other children. Despite the struggle of meeting new friends, Dario finally meets someone who is also new to New England and also doesn’t speak the same language because he doesn’t speak at all. Dario befriends a right whale he meets at the beach and they continue to grow as friends spending time together nearly every day. They begin to form their own forms of communicating to make their bond even deeper. I chose this book because it does an excellent job at introducing the idea of diversity while still letting kids use their imagination to follow the story. The illustrations in this book are very detailed keepings kids engaged and enough text to keep the children focused but not too much to lose their attention. This story allows younger children to follow the relationship between children with a language barrier, something they could experience easily, and then the relationship between a whale and a boy with an obvious language barrier that wouldn’t happen quite so easily. The book also introduces the audience to Dario’s own language, Portuguese, giving them an even deeper experience with the topic of diversity for children within this age group.

App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-...
Read me stories is a literacy application intended for readers ages 3 and over. The app reads children’s books to the user along with fun animations and pictures. While the voice speaks the app highlights the corresponding word allowing children to follow along. There are thousands of books on the app and new ones are added everyday giving children a huge selection to get them excited about reading.




Listserv: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~mjoseph/c...
This listserv was created in 1993 by Michael Joseph of Rutgers University and focuses on facilitation spirited discussion on topics related to the literature of young people.

[Amanda Knowles]

Summary: Dario and his mother move from Brazil to Cape Cod for the spring. Dario does not English fluently, and because of this he has trouble making friends. Dario eventually meets someone who doesn’t even speak English, a whale!

Review: This book is perfect to discuss friendship and feelings of isolation because of differences. Dario has trouble making friends because of his speech, but the book leaves off in a positive way as there is a newfound friendship with a young girl at the end of the story. The book also touches upon culture as it is clear that Dario and his mother are from Brazil and are trying their best to become acclimated in Cape Cod.

Other Books you might pair with/ connect to: This can be connected to the book “Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin” by Duncan Tonatiuh. In this story, two cousins tell how their daily lives are different yet similar, as one cousin lives in America and one in Mexico.

Delicious quote: “Just waves apart, the boy and the whale stay very still, listening and being.” This is a nice moment in the book when the reader can feel the unspoken connection between Dario and the whale.

[Shelbie]

This was such a charming story about a friendship with a whale. I love that it came with information about right whales in order to encourage conservation. Stories like this are so important to kids who live inland and have very little resources to see wild animals in the wild or in zoos. These type of books teach kids about compassion for animals and how necessary every living species is for the planet to function and thrive. The story was also very heartfelt and made me tear up when the whale left. It also has good messages about unconventional friendships and the importance of accepting and caring for each other.

[Adriel]

This sweet book about a Brazilian child living making friends with a whale. The book has bright illustrations and is a little bit bilingual.

[Josie Stewart]

Has some bi-lingual elements. Has information woven into story.

[Jo Oehrlein]

The new kid in town and the new whale in the bay end up making friends. They learn that you can make unlikely friends.

Love the Portuguese words sprinkled throughout.

[Peacegal]

This sweet story tells about a lonely boy who befriends a curious right whale calf. The illustrations are eye-catching and well done.

[Kelly]

Nice story.

[Nicole]

Beautiful story about a friendship between a boy and a right whale.

[Shilpa]

Learned about Right Whales in this beautifully written and illustrated book.

[April]

Now I want to make friends with a whale! When you read this book, don't skip the author's note at the end about her own experience befriending a whale.

[Vera Kamvar]

I love this book! When I first saw it I was like wow because coincidentally my brother’s name is Dario. But overall it’s a great book and I recommend you read it!

[kim]

eh

[Margaret]

When it happens regardless of whether it's the first time or the tenth time, we marvel standing in breathless wonder. Unless we are a naturalist with specific intentions, most of us leave the inside to go outdoors with no expectations other than to accomplish our immediate goals. Experiencing a close encounter with a living being in the wild is a gift; some more surprising than others.

You might be reaching for a large stick wondering how it got in your yard, only to discover it's a garter snake of granddaddy proportions. One Sunday morning this past October while standing in our new backyard, Xena and I were both shocked to see a large fox trotting down the sidewalk across the street carrying a morning meal in its jaws. In these moments of awareness we are reminded all forms of life are sharing the same space.

Sometimes these appearances come not only when we least expect them but when we need them the most. Dario and the Whale (Albert Whitman & Company, March 1, 2016) written by debut picture book author Cheryl Lawton Malone with illustrations by Bistra Masseva is about a unique bond formed between a boy and a whale calf. In a desire to belong, connections can come from places other than where we are looking.


My full recommendation: http://bit.ly/1Rk5xJp

[I Trump]

This book is about the sweet relationship between an immigrant boy and a whale. The parallels between boy and whale, both in text and in the beautiful illustrations, are really well done. I love how the book brings shows the wonderful impact nature can have on us.

I'm going to read this with my students, many of whom are immigrants, and I'm sure it will resonate with them. (I'll have to come back with an update.)

[Victoria Coe]

The writing is lovely and poetic, the illustrations are sweeping and delightful, and the author's note at the end reminds us how special encounters with wildlife truly are. What a beautiful, lyrical story about the magic that happens when we come face-to-face with nature. The dual narrative between the immigrant boy Dario and the migrating whale is gorgeous and thought-provoking. Highly recommend for nature-lovers, as well as elementary school classrooms!

[Nikki]

Sweet story about a boy who creates a friendship with a right whale. Dario speaks Portuguese and there is a nice blending of English and Portuguese throughout the book. At the end of the story, there was an informational page that provided some background on the story and the whale, which is where I finally figured out that a right whale is a type of whale, not "the right whale" (as opposed to the wrong whale). Oops.

[Diana Murray]

A sweet friendship story told with sparse, lyrical text with a lovely, rhythmic flow. There is some gentle humor perfect for the age group. Every child will identify with Dario's problem of trying to make a friend. The information about whales and the incorporation of Portuguese words is a wonderful bonus! Perfect for summer reading and the painterly illustrations are just right. A beautiful story beautifully told.

[Juliana Lee]

Dario and his mother move from Brazil north to Cape Cod where his mother works as a waitress every spring. Dario doesn't have any friends at first, because he doesn't speak English. But he soon makes friends with a whale calf, who comes to the bay to learn how to swim before he migrates south with his mother.

[Earl]

A boy and his mom stay the summer at Cape Cod where he feels completely alone- until he spies a whale in the beach. They start communicating in their own ways and become friends. But what happens when it's time to say goodbye? Includes a page of information about right whales (the type of whale) and their habits.

[Chelsea]

I appreciate how this book shows the unexpected friendship between a boy and a whale, it is truly touching. However, I feel as though for the age group this book is geared towards, unless an adult were to read this book to a child, the language and wording on the pages would be too challenging for someone who is younger or just beginning to read.

+Book
-List

[Jane Sutcliffe]

This sweet simple story connects on so many levels. Young readers will identify with little Dario as he searches for a friend and finally finds one in a right whale. The spare text and colorful illustrations reinforce the sense of wonder at the beauty and majesty of the whale. A perfect book to share over and over.

[Kate]

Very cute. Dario finds it hard to make friends because he doesn't speak English, but he does manage to befriend a whale! And then also a girl whose sand castle he accidentally messed up earlier. The illustrations are really gorgeous, and the story is cute. Plus I kept thinking about Daario Naharis which is never bad.

[Carrie Gelson]

I was lucky to read a F and G copy - will be released in March 2016
Lovely debut title about one of my favourite topics! Seeing a whale! A story of friendship, of belonging and powerful connection. Read more on my blog: http://thereisabookforthat.com/2015/1...

[Jillian]

I liked this book - I liked how, at the beginning, the two stories seemed parallel, but not quite related. And then, suddenly, they were very closely related. It goes to show that humans and animals aren't so different, after all.

[Miss Sarah]

Dario and his mother move every summer to a sea town where Dario doesn't fit in but one day a whale pops up in the ocean and the two become friends across the water and all odds. Preschool for length. Cute and heartfelt.

[Ruth Anne]

Dario and his mother move to the New England seashore each spring. A right whale and her calf swim to the bay where Dario lives. Dario and the whale have an encounter and become friends. The bright and colorful illustrations tell the story from different perspectives.