The Boy and the Whale

by Mordicai Gerstein

A boy and his father discover a whale tangled in their only fishing net. Is the whale dead? While the man worries about losing their net, the boy worries about the whale. He remembers the fear he felt when, caught in a net himself in childhood, he almost drowned before being rescued by his father. When the whale blinks an enormous eye, the boy knows that he has to try to save the creature, no matter how dangerous doing so may be.

Expressive and perfectly paced, this powerful story, The Boy and the Whale, by Caldecott Medal–winner Mordicai Gerstein was inspired in part by a real-life video of a whale’s rescue, and the creature’s joyful dance through the waves after being freed.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Environment, Fiction, Nature, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

Mordicai Gerstein was an American artist, writer, and film director, best known for illustrating and writing children's books. He illustrated the comic mystery fiction series Something Queer is Going On.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Albeit that in Mordicai Gerstain's The Boy and the Whale, part of me is frightened for the young boy going out by himself to cut his family's fishing (and yes only fishing) net off of that entangled whale (and not so much because he is disobeying his father's demands not to, but more because trying to cut a fishing net off of a large cetacean by oneself would or at least could be extremely dangerous) I indeed do have to cheer both the young boy's courage at deciding to rescue the whale and that even though the fishing net obviously represents his family's entire livelihood he is also willing to actively defy his father (whom at first in The Boy and the Whale, while I could certainly understand the father's anger and frustration regarding the potential loss of his family's one and only fishing net, I also do not much like as a person, as I tend to think that the father's general attitude towards the whale is just a bit too careless and lacking in basic empathy), although the fact that the father at the end of The Boy and the Whale does admit that his son's actions and that his behaviour, while he still considers them as foolish are also seen as very brave, this does very much redeem the father for me, and considering that there will likely be very much work involved in order to fix the family's only fishing net and that the family's entire income is likely due to fishing, the father's increasingly positive and understanding attitude at the end of The Boy and the Whale and that yes indeed he even praises his son a bit, this has definitely personally been much appreciated.

Accompanied by illustrations both glowingly imaginatively esoteric and also sweetly but at the same time painfully realistic (and certainly showing how dangerous the young boy's whale rescue is, as well as how very much and sadly entangled the unfortunate whale has become in the family's fishing gear), I have indeed very much enjoyed Mordicai Gerstein's combination of text and image (although truth be told, I definitely would like and appreciate The Boy and the Whale even more if Gerstein were to also include non fiction supplemental information on whales in general and how many whale species are facing increasingly horrible and endangering threats from being entangled in rogue fishing gear, as well as from ship and tanker traffic and yes, the fact that The Boy and the Whale was supposedly inspired by Mordicai Gerstein viewing a video of a whale rescue, I would also rather that this piece of information were not presented on the dust jacket, but within the actual pages of The Boy and the Whale, since picture book dust jackets are often discarded or obscured with tape for library books, not to mention that they also often end up damaged through repeated reading and rough usage).

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is lovely, but it should be mandatory to read with it Jennifer O'Connell's THE EYE OF THE WHALE: A RESCUE STORY (2013), based on a real-life whale rescue off the coast of California.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this children's book as the illustrations were beautiful and it had some great messages. One of the messages was about going with your gut feelings. The boy went against what his father told him to do BUT he did what he thought was right and he saved a whale. The whale had been caught up in his father's fishing net and his father had left the whale tangled up and told the boy to leave the whale alone but the boy couldn't do it. He had to try to set the whale free. Working hard, the boy was successful and the whale was untangled, the net back into the boy's fishing boy and the whale went back out into the sea. The father ended up being proud of his son and I liked that the author included this in the novel. I also liked that the boy didn't give up. The illustrations show what a difficult and strenuous task freeing this whale was for this small boy and he did it on his own. He was proud of himself and whale was happy to be free too. It was a great accomplishment and then to have his father be proud of him too, it had to be a proud moment for this boy.

There was something about the word "Breathe" that that the author hit upon in this novel. I thought it was special and it is a word that I myself use quite a bit when others are stressed. Just, "breathe."

A nice book with powerful illustrations that supplement a great story.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: THE BOY AND THE WHALE by Mordicai Gerstein, Roaring Brook, November 2017, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-62672-505-8

“Breathe, breathe in the air
Don’t be afraid to care
Leave but don’t leave me
Look around, choose your own ground
For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry
And all your touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be”
-- Pink Floyd, “Breathe” (1973)

“Every day, I loved to watch the sun rise out of the sea. One morning I saw something in the water. Something big.
‘That’s a whale out there,’ said Papa. ‘It looks dead.’
We jumped into our panga for a closer look.
‘Oh no!’ yelled Papa. He cursed the whale with words I’d never heard him say. ‘It’s tangled in our net! Our only net! I hope we can save it!’
‘Save the whale, Papa?’
‘No, my son, save our net!’ The whale is dead.’
We dived into the water.
I had never been so close to an animal so huge. Wrapped by the net in a hopeless tangle, the whale must have died unable to move. I had been tangled in a net once, too. I almost drowned. Papa saved me.
The whale’s closed eye was as big as my head.
And then it blinked! And I had to...
...BREATHE!
So did the whale.
“Papa,’ I gasped. ‘The whale’s alive!’”

What makes us human? How should we live our lives? These universal themes are what I take away from this book. Is life to be played as a zero-sum game, a never-ending fight and scramble to dig holes and gather all we can into our own personal piles? Are we merely higher animal forms with endless biological needs, or is life more wondrous and complex than that?

I’ve had this book, THE BOY AND THE WHALE, kicking around for more than a year now. I’ve read and reread it a bunch of times, connecting with it each time because of the complicated father-son relationship.

The boy and his father return to shore. Leaving the whale for dead, and despondent over the potential loss of their livelihood, the father heads off to see his uncle about an old, unused fishing net in need of repair. He instructs the son Abelardo not to “do anything foolish.”

But, being an empathetic being with the experience of almost drowning in a net himself, Abelardo disobeys his father. He takes the little motorboat back out to sea and risks his life in order to slowly cut away the plastic netting trapping the whale. He successfully liberates the whale and, upon returning to shore, Abelardo's father begrudgingly commends him.

The realistic pen and ink and acrylic illustrations are punctuated by moments when Abelardo must surface in order to breathe. They capture the immensity of the majestic creature, bring us into the midst of the action, and remind us of both the joyous magic and unforgiving danger posed by the sea.

This is my kind of sea story.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by a video he saw of an actual whale rescue, author/artist Mordicai Gerstein spins this tale of a young boy and his efforts to free the humpbacked whale caught in his father's fishing nets. Although his father is more concerned about their nets, and what this will mean for their livelihood as fisherman, the boy identifies with the whale, recalling an experience from his own early childhood, in which he got caught in some nets, and almost drowned. Disobeying his father, the boy sets out to free the whale...

Gerstein pairs an engaging tale with gorgeous artwork in The Boy and the Whale, creating in the process a picture-book that is emotionally engrossing. Young listeners will be on the edge of their seats during the boy's dangerous quest to help the whale, and will enter wholly into the happiness that his new cetaceous friend feels, upon liberation. For my part, I loved the scene in which the humpbacked whale breaches into the air, jumping high in jubilation. A lovely book, one that explores our emotional connection as human beings to the other creatures in our world, this is one I would recommend to young animal and whale lovers, and to anyone looking for beautifully-illustrated books about the ocean and its majestic inhabitants.

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations of the whale in this book communicated such an overwhelming sense of joy and it made me EMOTIONAL

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a boy and his father discover a whale that has become entangled in their fishing net, the father is angry because he has no other net with which to fish. The boy, Abelardo, feels sorry for the whale and remembers when he, too, almost died when he was entangled in a net. Although his father warns the boy to leave the whale alone, the boy cannot resist trying to save the creature's life. It takes great effort, many dives, and cutting away the net that is trapping the whale in the ocean, but eventually, teh boy succeeds in freeing it. The whale moves swiftly to the surface before plunging down again, and again, seemingly almost dancing with joy at having been released and afforded another chance at life. I loved how some of the illustrations fill two pages, and others consist of small frames gathered across two pages. What a lucky whale, and what a compassionate boy who ended up doing the right thing even if it did go against his father's wishes. Books such as this one give me hope that maybe, just maybe, we can save this planet and its creatures. One thing's for sure, though, and that is that this is one relieved and happy whale.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story that has dual messages ~ one about a fishing family's way of life and the conflict that has with nature, and one about a boy going against his father's wishes to do what he knows in his heart is the right thing. This story has so many topics for use in discussion with children, and the artwork is vibrant and often dominates the page spreads.

Highly recommend for school libraries - I would use this in read alouds for grades 2 or 3 and up due to the darker subject matter, but in a one-on-one setting or with much time for discussion this is definitely appropriate down to kindergarten. Recommended for up through middle school classrooms as the potential discussions of moral issues are so plentiful.

Thank you to Roaring Brook and Macmillan for the advance review copy of this title.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mordicai Gerstein wrote and illustrated this story because of inspiration of a genuine whale rescue, one you can see here. It’s a straightforward story of a man and his son, out to check what looked like a large animal in the water. It is a whale, sadly entangled in their fishing net. The father is upset to lose his net. There is no money for another. He’s unconcerned that the whale is dead. The boy then sees the whale’s eyes open and he cannot let that whale go. What happens next is closer than you think to the real story. Gerstein’s illustrations fill the pages with emotional highs and lows of all involved, most especially that beautiful whale, freed!

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter break bookaday #5. Lovely story of survival and compassion and forgiveness. Could spark a lot of thoughtful discussion.

[Tricia Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Gerstein's book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. The Boy and the Whale is a nice story too but lacks the strength of his first book. In this story a boy is trying to save a whale after he is entangled in his father's fishing net. But to destroy the net would mean that his father wouldn't be able to catch and sell fish. The boy goes against his father's wishes and cuts the net to allow the whale to escape. A simple story but a classroom could discuss what is more important: the whale or a family's livelihood.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous, luminous imagery both above and below the surface of the sea illustrate a tale of pushing past roadblocks and disapproval (in this instance, parental) to do what is right.

[Neha S R · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe not the best for the preschool set - mine was a bit upset by the situation and how mean the dad was!

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Mordicai Gerstein’s “The Boy and the Whale” is a beautifully illustrated story of a young boy, Abelardo, a fisherman’s son. When a whale is caught in his father’s fishing net, Abelardo and his father see the problem through very different eyes. While his father seems more concerned with the ruined net (an impact on the family’s very livelihood), the boy sees the majesty of the whale and how precious that life is. Abelardo’’s father instructs him to leave the whale for dead, but the boy is drawn back to the whale again. I especially love that we are left with a peek at what might have really been in the father’s heart when Papa tells Abelardo that his actions were both “...incredibly foolish!” and ...”very brave.”
A fine example of “small moment” writing, this story is brief, yet powerful. Although the text itself is somewhat short, with just a sentence or two per page, this book inspires much to ponder about and discuss beyond the pages. Conversation and questions could range from simple topics about whales or life in a fishing village, up through high order questioning about deeper topics. What makes a life important? Why might an adult’s priorities be different than a child’s? When should you follow what is in your heart, or what you know is right? Why do people sometimes have to make a decision that isn’t just he choice they want? The story highlights the gray area of life that falls into place with each of these questions. It could be used with young children, all the way through middle school, and is a recommended read for families and classroom communities.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that showcases empathy, bravery, and standing up for what's right--even if you're standing alone.

A boy and his father, residents of a fishing village, are distressed to find a whale entangled in their only fishing net. While the father fears for damage to his nets, the boy is filled with compassion for the whale. He himself had been trapped underwater once in a frightening accident--he knows what the whale must be feeling. He also knows the animal is weakening and doesn't have much time left.

His father discourages the boy from attempting to free the whale. It would cause further damage to the nets, and fishing is how the family makes a living. He thinks they should just let the whale die. Yet the boy can't stop thinking about the trapped animal, and decides to cut the nets. The gentle giant is finally freed, and seems to thank the boy for his heroism. In a surprise ending, the boy's father expresses pride at his son's bravery and compassion, and they vow to repair the net together.

Possible topic for discussion:
Since the boy and his father will be fixing and presumably re-using the original net, it could be entirely possible that it will again ensnare a whale or other non-target animal. What are some ways that the two could avoid this? Could they catch fish in a different way, or maybe get involved in a different business sustained by the tropical environment?

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a compelling narrative style and beautifully rendered illustrations, this book tells a powerful story about our duty to be good stewards of all of the natural blessings around us. Abelardo and his father find a whale tangled up in their fishing net. The whale is nearly dead. The boy’s father is very upset because the family’s only fishing net has been destroyed. This is a serious problem, because without the net the family has no way to earn money to take care of themselves. The boy, however, desperately wants to save the whale. The father tells him it’s too difficult and too dangerous and that he must forget about the whale. Young readers will definitely want to find out about this boy’s tough decision and whether or not he will be able to free the whale. This book could generate some good discussions about ways that people and whales can share the oceans. It’s also a good book to help develop a growth mindset as we have a great example of a young person rising above helplessness and not giving up when there’s a job to do. According to the book jacket, the author was partly inspired by a video he saw of a whale’s rescue and the creature’s joyful dance through the waves after being freed. You can watch this video at www.greatwhaleconservancy.org. Scroll down to the video called “Saving Valentina”. It might be fun to share this video with students after reading this book.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a moral dilemna? What will the boy in the story do when a whale is trapped in his family's fishing net, but still alive? Will he attempt to set it free or obey his father who has asked him not to?

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring tale of empathy and courage.

[Bonnie Lambourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book. The artwork is beautiful and emotionally resonant. The words enrich the story, heightening the boy's struggle, helping us understand what he is going through, his empathy, and then his efforts to save the whale.

What is especially poignant here is the truth and authenticity of both sides of the story when the fisherman is not part of a large company.

While this might to be the picture of every whale caught in a net, or even most, it makes for a story that really pulls the heart strings of the reader in its conflict and extended empathy. While reading it, you are made aware of the dangers the boy is facing - perhaps not in great detail, but in great emotional expression and urgency - the life and death issues at hand. Thus we struggle along holding our breath.

I felt the impact in my body, as the boy rises to the surface himself for breath, reminding me to breathe, and his anguish over having to do this, the time and added effort it takes in his job, not knowing how long the whale can survive without being able to rise fully out of the water.

The way the boy speaks to the whale personalizes the human/e connection. He is speaking to a friend, to a fellow being, in the most direct way we usually make connection - sharing and asking a name.

Then the long wait to drag in the net, will it all come into the boat, followed by the long wait to see if the whale survived after all this.

Only after all this are we given the relief and celebration, but still, they must face his father whom he has disobeyed. We are then given the gift of seeing another level of courage and conviction of one's beliefs requires beyond mere emotion or even stubbornness. The boy in his honoring of all this and also his father apologizes, and his father is loving enough to recognize his bravery while reminding him how foolish it was... and the love and pride is in hug and the simple act of moving onward in their day of fishing chores.

The son has taken agency in something he believes strongly in, the character in the story has agency, and the subtext of this is an example for our children to act on their beliefs, to not be an innocent bystander.

If you are hesitant to share a book with a child that shows such risks, I beg you to reconsider, and instead have the talks about safety, alternate ways to find help in this and other situations. A great place to start is to view the original video - Saving Valentina (Original) - plus a news version - at https://greatwhaleconservancy.org/vid... that inspired this story.

This true story is a family on whale watch in a similar boat and place, but the father is a nature conservationist. You can see try to get other help first, they save the whale from within the boat, it is a young whale, and compare sizes. It is such a spectacular show the whale gives when finally freed, I recommend watching this only after reading the book.

There are many other videos worth viewing at their site, and information to extend knowledge about whales. Another site to check is the World Wildlife Fund - mentioned in a 2019 wordless picture book - The Fisherman & the Whale by Jessica Lanan - so similar to this one, except the child is given less agency in the story, a lengthy author's note follows with her expression of what she hopes her book will inspire. I do also like this book, and will be posting a review. If I were in a classroom setting, I'd consider the age of my students. If sharing with kids ready to talk about story creation and comparison, I'd share them both and ask them how they experienced each one. I'm an illustrator first/author 2nd myself, and read Lanan's book first, was very drawn to the illustrations and felt the story. However, I personally Gerstein's words and child central to the story brought me the missing pieces and touched my heart more deeply, not just my fear and relief, but my connection and compassion.

Again, as for concerns, it is my experience [as a parent and teacher of 27 years - SpEd, Art, ESL] that in real life, children tend to be impulsive over fun things, but also tend to be wary about those that include danger of this nature. Even the child who may boldly state they'd jump in to do this, are most often acting out the idea vicariously. Faced by an ocean and a huge animal, they are going to hold back.

This is exactly what book characters offer us all, a chance to experience to some extent, in our hearts and minds, what others go through, or how to face issues and dangers.

Please consider before denying children the chance to imagine fully what is involved. Instead discuss, and include additional books on the topic, or research on the internet, on how to save whales, or other details of water rescue and safety trainings, why a boy who lives in the place this boy does would know how to swim so well underwater, etc.

= Your child may never face a situation like this, but could use the same ideas saving a puppy tangled in its leash, facing fears about homework, bullies.
= Your child may one day tell you the truth instead of lying about a deed done, as this boy is honest with his father.
= Your child may be inspired to work to save or protect whales through learning, becoming an environmental lawyer, or scientist.
= Or they may choose another field or way to become a hero in the future of one person to an entire species, against a disease or in some other way benefit the planet or people on it.

I could write even more details about the art - the layouts, the way the water moves, the body language of the characters, the colors; and the writing's lyrical quality in this book, but you should experience these for yourself.

Gerstein has masterfully used, it seems to me, all that he has learned in a long career of illustrating and writing picture books, in one of his last books published before his passing in 2019.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, with a lovely message. The story of a boy and his father who discover that the means to their livelihood, their only fishing net, is tangled with a whale. Against the father's wishes the boy works to free the whale even though the fishing net is destroyed, because he knows that what he is doing is right. The illustrations are gorgeous, but the story is a bit dark and would probably be best for grade school aged children or in a one on one setting with more mature younger children.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about a boy who risks punishment to try to save a life. My favorite part is when he owns up to his decision when his father asks-the illustration shows his father's shadow extending long past his little body, the boy standing as bravely as he can in the face of impending punishment. The tension builds as the reader turns the page, uncertain as well of what the consequences may be. It is a powerful moment in a book full of powerful moments.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When I looked again into the whale's eye, all I saw was my own reflection. Don't die, Whale! I'm doing my best!" A unique book with messages about agency, a connection to the natural world, and ethics.

[Jo-ann Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Boy and the Whale tells the story of a young boy and his father who go out in their boat and discover that a whale is caught in their only fishing net. At first they think the whale is dead, but when the boys sees the whale open his eye, he realizes he’s alive. The boy and his father go back to shore. His father thinks it is too dangerous and difficult to try to rescue the whale, and he is worried about getting another net. The boy knew what it was like to be caught in a net and couldn’t bear to leave the whale tangled. He had to try to save the whale. He takes the boat out to the whale and continues to dive and cut, and dive and cut the net until the net gets loose. All at once, the whale was free! The boy and the whale are elated! Even though he disobeyed his father, the boy listened to his heart and showed great bravery.
This is a wonderful story of the connection between humans and animals in nature. The bravery and commitment of the boy to save the whale is very inspiring! It shows a great message of how sometimes you might need to go against the rules to do what is right. The illustrations in the book are absolutely gorgeous and are a vital part of the story. This is a great book for children of all ages!

[Janique Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about compassion, this little boy and his father spot something big in the distance of the ocean. They take their boat out to find a whale entangled in their only fishing net. The father hopes he can save the net while the boy wants to save the whale. They both went into the water trying to get the net free and the boy reminisces about when he was caught in a net. As the boy got close to the whale's closed eye, it blinked. Shocked, he went up to tell his dad that the whale was still alive. The dad responded that their net was ruined and turned back to shore. The boy pleaded with his dad to save the whale but with no luck. When the dad went to go get a net from his uncle, the boy took the boat and went back out to sea to cut the whale free. Once he saw the net becoming loose he started pulling it onto the boat. Once the whale was free it dived deep into the water before jumping out and crashing a distance ahead of the boat. When the boy went back to the shore his father was waiting for him and scolded him before telling him that he was very brave. They both walked away from the beach to fix the uncle's net. I really loved this story because as an animal lover myself, I always see myself in whatever animal i'm helping, just like the boy. The double-page spread with the wording sideways was beautiful.

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action-filled story in which a boy, Abelardo, and his father discover a whale caught in their fishing net. The boy wants to save the whale, and the father does not due to his anger over losing his only working fishing net. Abelardo returns to save the whale’s life against his father’s wishes.

Illustrates ideas of cross-species compassion and empathy amid conflicting needs among species (humans need net for food and livelihood). Also Illustrates courage and determination for standing up for what you believe even though it may be different from what your parents/elders support.

The scene in which the boy looks into the eye of the whale is reminiscent of other human&whale reckoning scenes I recently read/seen:

— scene in Avatar 2: Way of the Water (2022 film) Dir. James Cameron
— stanza in Rime of Modern Mariner (graphic novel) by Nick Hayes

In these scenes there is an acknowledgment of a shared sentience among the living creatures while also a momentary humility on the part of the human realizing that they are the subordinate party in the situation. These scenes affect me on deep levels Thad I’d like to explore more carefully going forward.


CL concepts:
Interdependence
Eco change agent/agency

Used: HPbooks.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
The Boy and the Whale tells the story of Abelardo, his father, and a whale entangled in his family’s only fishing net. The family relies on the net for their livelihood, but the boy is concerned about the whale’s life. He can relate to the whale’s predicament because he once was tangled in a net, but his father saved his life. Now Abelardo feels compelled to save the whale’s life. However, saving the whale would mean disobeying his father. What choice will he make - follow his father’s orders or take the risk and try to help the whale? This book would provide a basis for meaningful conversation with older kids who could relate to the dilemma that Abelardo faces, putting themselves in his place and defending what they would do. The illustrations beautifully support the text.

#kidlitexchange #theboyandthewhale #picturebooks

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story on compassion and our messy connections with the natural world. The usual beautiful painting from Gerstein, lovely and cinematic visual storytelling to bolster the text--and the text is plain and compelling, a couple wonderful moments of very human internal struggle and doubt within our protagonist. Plus that one masterful, expansive, wordless spread with a still beat and a calm sea, a moment to think and wonder, so nicely pulled off here.

And okay, I know I'm a sap, so take this with a grain of salt--but I really should have read this to myself before I tried reading it with the kids. Did NOT anticipate it was going to be such a tearjerker for me. But don't worry, spoiler: the whale isn't dead. And hope isn't dead, and courage and compassion can still save the day, and kindness is the oh geez it's seriously going to set me off again, just read this book with your little ones and leave me alone, I'm not crying YOU'RE crying.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Known author and illustrator Mordica Gerstein, winner of the Caldecott medal for the Man who Walked between the Towers, has a new book about determination, courage taking place in a country where fishing can be the livelihood of a family with only one net.
A father and his son discover that a large whale is caught in their only net. They go out in a small boat to see what the damage is. Since it is their only net, the father is angry and thinks it is hopeless to think about the whale. The boy on the other hand disobeys his father when he has given up and returns to the whale to set him free.
The reader will feel part of the story and will root for the boy to set the whale free, and is rewarded by a spectacular “dance” the whale performs when he is free. The story is simple since communication is nonverbal from the whale but could easily be used in a classroom setting on many topics and would be a great addition to any library.
Kindergarten through - 3rd grade
R
Oral

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy and his fisherman father realize that the whale stuck in the bay is tangled in their fishing net; the only net they own. And they can't afford another one. While trying to remove the net from the whale father and son realize that the whale is still alive. Father is only worried about the ruined net and forbids the child from doing "anything foolish." As the father heads off to see an uncle about borrowing a net, the boy thinks back on a time when he himself was wrapped in a net and almost drowned. He decides to head out to at least try to help the whale.

He is successful freeing the whale from the net. Whether filled with joy that it is no longer trapped or possibly thanking the boy for freeing him, the whale puts on quite a show for the boy.

Based on actual events, this book is amazing! I think the only thing that could have been improved would be the inclusion of a bit of info on the problem of fishing nets and their harmfulness to ocean wildlife.

[Taylor Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boy and the Whale is a story about a young boy named Abelardo, who is the son of a fisherman and lives by the ocean. One morning, the boy sees a whale is entangled in the family's only fishing net. The boy thinks the whale looks dead. The father is so upset that he begins to say words that Abelardo had never heard him say. The boy goes into the ocean to discover that the whale is still alive. The author is able to thrill the reader by telling the way that the boy tries to build up the courage to save the whale stuck in the fishing net. While the boy is trying to save the whale, his father is yelling at him, ordering him to stop. The boy disobeys his father, and saves the large creature. I would read this book in an elementary classroom because this book really makes the reader feel apart of the story and the action that takes place.