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Oslo or The Whale Whose Tail Looked a Bit Like a Wellington Boot
Oslo the whale lives with his dad. He likes swimming, blowing water out of his blowhole, and eating krill and ketchup.
Oslo is the only whale he knows whose tail looks a bit like a wellington boot. Not that it matters, but then again, Oslo's tail seems to be at the root of all kinds of unexpected events.
Along the way, Oslo learns about a lot of things: goals, opposites, sharing, fairness and panic. But will his big moment end in catastrophe? Or might there be a joyous celebration?
Cover illustration by Juana Maria Muschietti.
Oslo is the only whale he knows whose tail looks a bit like a wellington boot. Not that it matters, but then again, Oslo's tail seems to be at the root of all kinds of unexpected events.
Along the way, Oslo learns about a lot of things: goals, opposites, sharing, fairness and panic. But will his big moment end in catastrophe? Or might there be a joyous celebration?
Cover illustration by Juana Maria Muschietti.
135 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2021
About the author
Stephen Bench-Capon
1 bookStephen grew up on the Wirral, in England, and moved to Germany in 2009 after graduating in Modern and Medieval Languages from Cambridge University.
He now works as a content writer for a software company in Berlin, and lives with his wife and two children.
He enjoys many kinds of writing, with Oslo or The Whale Whose Tail Looked a Bit Like a Wellington Boot being his first published work of fiction.
Stephen can be contacted via email at herrbench@outlook.com or on twitter @herrbench.
He now works as a content writer for a software company in Berlin, and lives with his wife and two children.
He enjoys many kinds of writing, with Oslo or The Whale Whose Tail Looked a Bit Like a Wellington Boot being his first published work of fiction.
Stephen can be contacted via email at herrbench@outlook.com or on twitter @herrbench.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 10, 2022
LEARNING LIFE UNDERWATER
Recension of Stephen Bench-Capon’s book
‘Oslo…or The Whale Whose Tail Looked a Bit Like a Wellington Boot’
What do you need to be(come) a good and happy person? – I think that is the main question to be answered. Or at least this is how I interpret Stephen Bench-Capon’s debut novel. He does exactly what children usually do – asking questions. Questions about rain, oxygen, photosynthesis, tributary, krills & ketchup… or even tails of a whale.
Sándor Márai the famous Hungarian writer and journalist (renowned for his novel ‘Embers’) wrote: “Getting to know yourself is the greatest journey, the scariest discovery and the most edifying encounter.” This journey the author takes you with is deep under the sea, yet he playfully and clearly guides you through the adventures of a young whale named Oslo.
The central character learns the ups and downs of life just by being himself and by accepting things as they are. Nevertheless, he is always ready to change and accept those necessary changes that can make him go or actually swim forward and make him happy.
This book is first and foremost meant for children, however, adults and parents may also have something important pieces of advice to take away:
- to observe something from a different point of view
- to explore what’s really inside you
- how to discover your strengths
- how to remain optimistic and jovial in spite of all difficulties
And most of all: how to accept the fact that you’re somewhat different but you still constantly keep trying to get the best out of you and to use it for your advantage and for the benefit of others around you.
In his imaginary world the author tells the story of an Olympic-like competition in a school for whales. He teaches you how to win without even competing – that’s the creativity he uses to write the plot and make some twists and turns of life throughout the whole story.
Having read the book I’ve come to the conclusion that you ought to take life as a lifelong process to be learnt. Also for them whales.
Recension of Stephen Bench-Capon’s book
‘Oslo…or The Whale Whose Tail Looked a Bit Like a Wellington Boot’
What do you need to be(come) a good and happy person? – I think that is the main question to be answered. Or at least this is how I interpret Stephen Bench-Capon’s debut novel. He does exactly what children usually do – asking questions. Questions about rain, oxygen, photosynthesis, tributary, krills & ketchup… or even tails of a whale.
Sándor Márai the famous Hungarian writer and journalist (renowned for his novel ‘Embers’) wrote: “Getting to know yourself is the greatest journey, the scariest discovery and the most edifying encounter.” This journey the author takes you with is deep under the sea, yet he playfully and clearly guides you through the adventures of a young whale named Oslo.
The central character learns the ups and downs of life just by being himself and by accepting things as they are. Nevertheless, he is always ready to change and accept those necessary changes that can make him go or actually swim forward and make him happy.
This book is first and foremost meant for children, however, adults and parents may also have something important pieces of advice to take away:
- to observe something from a different point of view
- to explore what’s really inside you
- how to discover your strengths
- how to remain optimistic and jovial in spite of all difficulties
And most of all: how to accept the fact that you’re somewhat different but you still constantly keep trying to get the best out of you and to use it for your advantage and for the benefit of others around you.
In his imaginary world the author tells the story of an Olympic-like competition in a school for whales. He teaches you how to win without even competing – that’s the creativity he uses to write the plot and make some twists and turns of life throughout the whole story.
Having read the book I’ve come to the conclusion that you ought to take life as a lifelong process to be learnt. Also for them whales.
March 17, 2022
The best books mix humour with emotion, mix excitement with everyday life, introduce us to memorable characters that we care about, and gently bring in serious issues (Oslo can’t swim well, because of his odd tail) in an original way.
This book does all these. The characters are whales, but the young ones go to school and have fun, conversations and problems as human children do, and I soon entered into their world, sympathising with Oslo as he tries to work out why he feels a bit sad at playtime, and happy with him when he finds a solution. I love his (single) Dad, who cried when he was born, and is anxious about what to say when Oslo comes home after a big day, so he just gets the krill and ketchup ready. I love the way the book plays with language, and the teachers are hilarious at their meetings, worrying about fairness, apostrophes and the ethics of competitions. The competition for “synchronised breaching” is a great idea.
I’m a grown-up, but my various grandchildren and great-nephews - all at primary school – also love the book. I think the ideal age group to give it to would be 8 – 11.
This book does all these. The characters are whales, but the young ones go to school and have fun, conversations and problems as human children do, and I soon entered into their world, sympathising with Oslo as he tries to work out why he feels a bit sad at playtime, and happy with him when he finds a solution. I love his (single) Dad, who cried when he was born, and is anxious about what to say when Oslo comes home after a big day, so he just gets the krill and ketchup ready. I love the way the book plays with language, and the teachers are hilarious at their meetings, worrying about fairness, apostrophes and the ethics of competitions. The competition for “synchronised breaching” is a great idea.
I’m a grown-up, but my various grandchildren and great-nephews - all at primary school – also love the book. I think the ideal age group to give it to would be 8 – 11.
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February 14, 2022Beautifully produced and full of charming characters!
June 2, 2022
Such a nice book to read. Great humour, life lessons, and a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes...Oslo is a must read for children and adults. The characters are written with a depth that is uncommon in children's novels, especially the dad. Now, I'm just waiting for a sequel to be released that tells us more about the dad.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews