Whole Whale

by Karen Yin, Nelleke Verhoeff (Illustrator)

One hundred unusual animals try to squeeze into the pages of this raucous rhyming tale. But will there be room to fit a whole blue whale? The humorous ending features an expansive double gatefold and educational endnotes list the 100 animals in the book.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Counting, Humor, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

Karen Yin is the author of THE CONSCIOUS STYLE GUIDE: A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO LANGUAGE THAT INCLUDES, RESPECTS, AND EMPOWERS (Little, Brown Spark) and stories for children and teens, including WHOLE WHALE (Barefoot Books), SO NOT GHOUL (Page Street Kids), DOUG THE PUG AND THE KINDNESS CREW (Scholastic), NICE TO EAT YOU (Orchard Books), and "My Kinda Sorta Badass Move" (BOUNDLESS anthology, Inkyard Press).

Acclaim for her writing includes a VCCA fellowship, a California Arts Council Individual Artist grant, a Lambda Literary Fellowship, a grant from Table 4 Writers Foundation, and selection of her flash fiction by the Los Angeles Public Library for its permanent collection and Short Story Portal.

After Karen founded ConsciousStyleGuide.com and The Conscious Language Newsletter to spread mindful language, she won the ACES Robinson Prize in 2017 for furthering the craft of professional editing. Conscious Style Guide was named by Poynter as one of the top tools for journalists in 2018 and is recommended by BuzzFeed, The Chicago Manual of Style, The Society of Professional Journalists, and NASA, among others. She also founded the Editors of Color Database and the Database of Diverse Databases.

Reviews

[Julie Hedlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun, beautiful, and sooo clever. You REALLY want to see how a whole whale will fit by the end. And although it's educational in terms of counting and problem-solving, it's ultimately about inclusion and making room for everyone. Loved it!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps my expectations were too high as I'd seen such glowing reviews, but I was not overly excited by the book when I actually got my hands on a copy. I appreciate the idea the authors wished to convey, that we should try to be welcoming and work together, and the text was rather clever at times in terms of the language used ("A pod, a pack, a pride, a prowl--Just listen to them howl and growl!") But, personally, I really wasn't a fan of the illustration style. And, while I realize this is aimed at the Pre-K crowd and we don't need to be too realistic about things like Earth's limited resources, I still was a bit unsure about the delivery of the message. the creatures want to fit in a whole blue whale, but the book is only so big-- seemingly. But, the animals push and push and eventually push the pages out --there's actually two fold-out pages at the end -- so the book becomes twice the size and, voila!, the whale fits! I think the point here is that, if we work together with dedication, we can make room for everyone. Which, on the one hand, is a message I truly do appreciate. I just couldn't decide if this was really clever or kind of cheating that they actually made more room than physically existed before. . Still, I think the idea of inspiring teamwork and perseverance is more important for this age group than the actual how to do it. If it had illustrations that were more appealing to my personal taste, I would have given this four stars, and many reviewers loved it and gave it five stars, so I would still recommend checking it out if the premise appeals to you.

[Shirin Shamsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole Whale by debut author, Karen Yin is magnificent! A story for children, with a message so large and beautiful that it feels truly inspired. A simple story of animals making space for each other, with a larger theme of fitting in. The end just blew me away. I feel every child needs to have this book in their library, so they will learn empathy from the beginning of their life’s journey (literally)-an absolute must for the future of our world. Barefoot Books have done it again! This company keeps producing books that seek to open hearts and minds, to broaden a child’s experience and open their world. This book checks every box! I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[JaNay Brown-Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to love about this book! The rhyme is fun and well-written and the way the author plays with language is incredibly enjoyable. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant, and the repeating refrains are satisfying and effective. There is also a message about making room for everyone to fit. Lastly, I really love the challenge the author and illustrator pose when asking the reader to count 100 animals (and then the book provides a key to which animals to look for and count). Excellent book that I look forward to reading with my little one!

[Phaea Crede · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a WHOLE lot. Awesome read-aloud with a message about making room for everyone, and a cute "find all 100 animals" activity to use on second (and third and fourth!) read throughs. Gorgeous illustrations round out the experience!

[Sophia Gholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This clever counting book makes for such a fun read aloud! Playful rhyme and gorgeous illustrations will engage young readers as they follow along to see what animal comes next. A perfect story time book and must-have for all classrooms and libraries.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole Whale, a tale of inclusivity, is Karen Yin’s debut picture book. She fell in love with the beauty and parity of the words whole and whale and from there crafted a charming meta-fiction story of animals crowding into a book. It kicks off with a cat, and as Yin tells the story with read-aloud rhyme, the pages fill up with 99 animals. But what about the biggest animal of all? Can they fit a WHOLE BLUE WHALE? Well, I’m sorry to say, I’m not telling. But I will say, the animal-counting theme is paired beautifully with Nelleke Verhoeff's bright and fun illustrations. The pre-K crowd will absolutely love it!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can this review fit all my praise for this book?

Probably not, but I'll give it a try! Whole Whale is fun rhyming read aloud that kids will want to read over and over again. Each spread invites the reader to go on a hunt for all the different animals (apparently 100 of them!) in the book, but you also get a regular reminder of the one animal you're waiting for—the blue whale!

Hats off to the illustrator for managing to depict 100 animals on a single very large) spread. As a fellow illustrator, I am very impressed. This is the kind of book that is fun to read together, but children will also want to spend hours poring over the pages on their own, hunting for their favorite animal.

[Elizabeth Bedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun! A joyful read-aloud that all children will LOVE! The first of 100 animals usher in at the beginning of this sweet cumulative story with the ever-present question, “But can we fit a whole blue whale?” Yin’s cleverly playful rhyme and Verhoeff’s lively, jump-off-the-page illustrations engage the reader as the animals crowd in page after page! There is a wonderful underlying theme of inclusion and that there is always room for one more. The back matter holds a fun challenge to count all 100 animals! WHOLE WHALE is a story that kids will ask to be read again and again and again! I highly recommend it!

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larger than life, just like the whole blue whale! The first thing I noticed was how big this book is - seriously. I loved the rhyming, repeating refrain, animal counting book with a mystery! Will a whole whale fit? Only if everyone makes room for one more. Fun final page with a list of the book stars. Great illustrations, engaging problem for young readers to predict and solve, and surprise super large spread at the end. Colorful and captivating!

[Benson Shum · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a whole lot to like about Whole Whale. From the fun rhythmic words by Karen and the colorful illustrations by Nelleke. I love the theme of making room for others. You never know who will show up. And the challenge to count 100 animals at the end. Kids and adult will have fun looking and counting them again and again.

[Julie Abery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole Whale by Karen Yin is going to be a classic picture book loved by kids around the world! Who doesn't want to fit a whole blue whale in a book?! Great rhyme and rhythm, fabulously colorful illustrations by Nelleke Verhoeff all combine to make this one great read!! Highly recommend.

[Teresa Conrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is from Karen Yin, of Conscious Style Guide fame. So I know it will be filled with compassion and kindness! Can't wait to read it as soon as it comes out.

[Marianne Blackstone Tabner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love how this story ties in math with a heart. Beautifully illustrated with great rhyme and rhythm describing how a whale can fit in with others. Fun read!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids love animals, so they will enjoy pointing out each of the new ones that steadily appear on each page. All along, there are glimpses of a Blue Whale trying to fit into the picture, but its getting crowded.

A few minor things: an elephant appears early in the animals on the page, but never mentioned in the text. Kids can be meticulous about finding the right animals.

The pictures are cute and colorful, but no serious poster-level prints in here.

It is nice to see the double-double sided pair of pages to allow the Blue Whale to finally appear. There is a big leap up to 100 total animals here. Thankfully, a final appendix-page does identify all 100, so industrious kids can see if they can truly find them all.

3.75

[Jami Gigot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun! Kids will love finding the variety of colorful animals on every page, and I loved the message of inclusion and how there is always space for one more. Really adorable illustrations too!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! A clever story and so much to look at. Discover something new each time you read it.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s quick, it rhymes, and there are tons and tons of animals— what more could you want?

[Stef Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this book is so much fun! There are so many ways WHOLE WHALE appeals to the reader. Word play, alliteration, rhyme, animal identification, look & find, counting, and more! I expect readers of all ages to enjoy this colorful and playfully illustrated story and all the time will wonder, will the whole blue whale fit on the page?

This is one I imagine kids wanting to read at bedtime over and over and over again! If you have an animal lover at home, you'll especially love WHOLE WHALE.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright, lively illustrations will grab a young child's attention, and the sparse, rhyming text with a catchy refrain make this book a fun read-aloud!

[Serena Gingold Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! It’s fun to read, the pictures are bold and lively, and the message is one that resonates with anyone who has ever felt left out. I enjoyed reading this book to my kiddos and I would highly recommend it to all elementary school teachers to read during the first week of school (or really anytime during the year). It’s such a great way to open up a conversation about including everyone when you play. And if all that isn’t enough, there’s a fun counting activity at the end of the book!

[Katelyn Aronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant colors...a plethora of animals, and playful rhyme. This is a great book for little pre-readers, who will love learning the animals on each page and memorizing the rhymes. Three cheers for the underlying message of inclusivity and always "making room for one more," even if that means fitting a whole whale into one's circle of friends! Increasingly crowded illustrations give way to a magnificent gatefold spread at the end, followed by a final page that encourages kids to count up to 100. A book to be enjoyed on many levels!

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you fit a Whole Whale onto the pages of the book?
We’ll give it a try!
As you read, more and more animals join in, jostling for room, how on earth will a WHOLE whale fit?
With flowing text, bold and funky imagery, you can’t wait to get to the end to see if you can do it! (No spoilers, sorry, you’ll have to read it and see!)
At the end is a tick list of 100 animals to find within the pages.
Fun and educational (learning the names of the animals), a sure hit with little ones to look at again and again.
Thank you Edelweiss+ for the e-arc.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole Whale is a fun and absolutely engaging rhyming book filled with a WHOLE LOT of animals. How many animals can fit inside the pages? That is the question! And, can a whole blue whale fit?? You'll have to read to find out. I guarantee children will be full of anticipation through the playful narrative and adore the conclusion. The book even provides an additional counting opportunity at the very end. Love it!

**Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.

[Karla Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read! It starts of quiet enough but with each page turn, new animals are introduced and things begin to get crowded. The tension builds as more and more words are added, more and more creatures fill the page. And always the question driving us to the end, will they fit a WHOLE blue whale? (spoiler - they do!). The illustrations are whimsical and engaging. This is sure to be a bedtime favorite!

[Elia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whimsical, perfectly rhyming picture book is packed with animals, wonderful wordplay, and gorgeously colorful and fun illustrations. It conveys the important message of inclusion and fitting in to kids in a subtle and entertaining way, and will make for a great read-aloud. Kids and adults alike will have fun counting and identifying all 100 animals in the book, which are listed in a helpful pictorial glossary at the end.

[Anna Harber Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many layers to this fun and colorful book! Each page spread adds animals and fun rhymes while teaching new words and emphasizing the importance of making room for everyone. The illustrations of smiling animals in all shapes and sizes are delightful and include an adorable octopus with glasses. I highly recommend this book. Whole Whale is colorful, creative and inclusive!

[Dawn Stahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture book that is full of colorful critters and a simple, positive message set in rollicking, preschooler-pleasing rhyme! So cute and fun! And these rosy-cheeked critters are *busy* — there are endless little animal vignettes to look at so the book feels fresh for at least the first umpteen reads. For added STEM value, there's a checklist in the back for all 100 animals in the book.

[Patricia Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Yin's WHOLE WHALE is delightful. Kids will have a lot of fun watching the pages pile up with an enormous variety of animals. Yin's rhyme is spot-on, and the illustrations are playful. Verdict: Kids will ask for this title over and over again.

[Erin Dealey]

Karen Yin's WHOLE WHALE has the kind of word play that asks to be read again and again. Lively animal illustrations (100 0f them!) add to the FUN in this picture book about #inclusion. My fav lines: "When everybody makes some space,
One more can always find a place."