Emma and the Whale

PreS-Gr 2--The sea coast comes alive in this lyrical tale as Emma and her dog gather shells, stones, and sea glass. "She smelled the salty air. The sea and the sky swirled together as she skipped past the misty dunes to the shoreline." The child loves her home, and her heartfelt concern for the environment and its "teeming life" is apparent as she pictures an ocean without "balloons or bottles spit to shore." One day, Emma and her dog discover a stranded baby whale. She tries to help the frightened animal, telling the baby to "think of your pod and your family. Picture yourself swimming free." Rendered in watercolor and mixed media, the illustrations awaken the senses and enhance the well-paced plot. Maritime hues, vignettes, and spreads complement the story line as Emma and her dog, Nemo, work hard to nudge the heavy creature until "a few more pushes and the whale slipped past Emma and ducked under a wave." VERDICT An elegant read-aloud about a girl and her dog that features heroism, kindness, and a love of the sea. This will work well one-on-one or in a small group storytime.--Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI

White's (Arctic White) atmospheric, vintage-style watercolors transport readers to the seaside home of a girl named Emma, a landscape of shingled white cottages, rocky outcrops, pine trees, and sandy beaches. Newcomer Case describes Emma's intimacy with ocean life and her love for it; she even imagines herself back in the age of whalers, shouting to ship captains, "Please don't hurt the whales." When Emma spots a beached baby whale, she acts instantly to save the creature, using the power of the rising tide to push the whale back into the water. As she works, she finds she can understand the whale's thoughts: "I'm scared," the whale thinks. "Don't be," Emma tells her. The introductory section lags a bit, and the whale, though more than a prop, isn't a fully developed character, despite its telepathic connection with Emma. Yet Case's debut fulfills the human fantasy of rescuing a wild creature in trouble while presenting a can-do story of a girl performing a remarkable physical feat: "She took a deep breath and tried again. I can do this." Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Mar.)