Big Blue Forever: The Story of Canada's Largest Blue Whale Skeleton

by Anita Miettunen

In 1987, a blue whale, the world’s largest mammal, died and washed ashore on the coast of Prince Edward Island. On the advice of scientists who came to see the magnificent creature, the whale was buried and left there for twenty years. In 2007, an expert came to inspect the whale and decided that the skeleton could be transported 6,000 kilometres to be put on display at the new museum being built in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2010, after more than two years of extensive work, Big Blue’s completed skeleton was unveiled and has since been on permanent display at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Science, Animals, Nature, Museums, Childrens

76 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 2017

About the author

Anita Miettunen writes and illustrates in Vancouver BC. She's worked in environmental regulatory science for the federal government and is currently completing her MA in Children's Literature at the University of British Columbia. Her first children's book, "Big Blue Forever," is inspired by the true story of how a blue whale skeleton, buried for over twenty years in PEI, was shipped cross country and reassembled for permanent display at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. You can follow Anita on Twitter and through Facebook (@anitamiettunenauthor.)

Reviews

[Sandra Acacia]

Very good and informative. Half of the book is a story for younger children and the second half is information on the excavation and preparing the bones for display.

One thing I didn't like, especially because it is for children to learn, is that she said there were less whales instead of fewer.

[Wunderdrugged]

This title is nominated for the 2019 Hackmatack Award in the non-fiction category. I was a little bit confused by the simple language at the start, but I think that this makes it even more accessible for the younger kids in the club. I was very glad to get to page 34, which is the point where the 'real' story gets underway and we start getting the facts. It was an interesting story about a topic that I honestly hadn't given much thought. I learned a lot about blue whales in general, and about the entire process of preserving the skeleton from start to finish. There were a lot of jobs that I never would have thought about, like professional Skeleton Articulator. I would recommend this book to kids who are interested in ocean life, or forensics.

[PrairieReader]

I was on the fence about this book. It was a story I had never heard before, and I always really enjoy that. However, it seemed as if the author wasn't sure which audience she should target. I found the first part of this book to be poorly written and edited and I wasn't surprised to find this was the author's first children's book. The second part of this book was more factual and engaging, although repetitive (the whale had kept it's blue-ish colour - I get it!).

This book would be a good addition to any elementary school / public library because it acts as both a picture book and a reference book; I think I would have just preferred one or the other instead of both combined.

[Sue]

A Silver Birch Non-Fiction nominee for 2018. The first half of the book is written in relatively simple language, which would appeal to students in the primary grades. The second half of the book provides further details using more challenging language for those students in the junior grades.
Most of the photographs are excellent quality, only those that were clearly taken in 1987 when Big Blue washed up on the shores of PEI are blurrier; however, these older photos also add an authenticity to the book. The author has provided a great deal of interesting information as well as websites that are all currently live.

[Barbra]

Great pictures and easy text introduce young readers to the Blue Whale and how a great skeleton made it's way to a museum at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver B.C.

[Mary-Esther Lee]

Be sure to check out the blue whale exhibit at the ROM! (ends Sept. 4)

[Octavia]

super interesante picturebook/info book. Es un formato novedoso.

[Linda Donohue]

Nice information on preserving such a large skeleton. Well written and nicely Illustrated. I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I thank the author and publisher. The book is off to my grandchildren.

[Kathy Stinson]

Three ways into this amazing story - through a simple picture book story, through its more detailed non-fiction pages, and through the highlights of the non-fiction presented in point form - making it accessible to a wide range of young readers. Gorgeous photographs support the story every step of the way. I expect the book will inspire awe and respect in readers young and less young, for this largest of animals, and for the work of the scientists who brought this whale's skeleton to the Vancouver museum where it's displayed.