Whale Trails, Before and Now

Gr 1-3--A young girl and her father are first mate and captain, respectively, on a family-owned whale-watching vessel, the Cuffee. She explains that prior generations of her family were whalers. From that point on, the story moves back and forth between the past and present. "Before now," the girl says, "children were taught whales were dangerous sea creatures that devoured our fish supply and were good only for their baleen and blubber." Now, passengers view pictures of the whales that they might see on daily sightseeing trips. In the old days, whalers left in the summer and hunted whales in warmer waters. Nowadays, passengers "set sail...when the weather cools and the whales are everywhere feeding on copepods, sand lance, and krill." In the past, "this pier was lined with shops of shipbuilders, candle makers, blacksmiths, and sail makers." Today, the pier by the dock "is lined with booths that sell souvenirs, sunglasses, binoculars, and sunscreen." The book further explains the various tools whalers used, their life on board ship, and the products harvested from captured whales. Karas effectively contrasts past and present, using sepia tones for depictions of the olden times and colorful gouache and acrylic images for portrayals of current times. Endnotes include a short glossary and further information on the whaling industry and international efforts to protect whales.--Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

In a pensive story about how human perceptions of whales have evolved, modern-day scenes narrated by an African-American girl, whose family conducts whale-watching expeditions, appear alongside scenes of maritime history, drawn in muted grays and browns. A boardwalk full of families ready to board the Cuffee contrasts with a scene of whalers preparing to leave port. While the modern girl's backpack includes "snacks, binoculars, a camera, and a sweater," in whaling days, "the ship was packed with harpoons, toggles, lances, spades, blubber forks, and sailors' biscuits." Both text and art tiptoe around the brutality of whaling, skipping from "the first sight of blood" from a speared whale to the sailors' cleanup and the products derived from whales. Comprehensive author's notes help emphasize the pronounced shift from fearing whales to revering them. Ages 5-9. Illustrator's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford. J. Greenburger Associates. (Jan.)