How Old Is a Whale?: Animal Life Spans from the Mayfly to the Immortal Jellyfish

by Lily Murray (Author) Jesse Hodgson (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

We are all on Earth but for a fleeting moment, yet no two lives are the same. From the delicate mayfly, which lives for just a few precious hours, to the death-defying immortal jellyfish, this book about animal life cycles is a celebration of creatures big and small.

Beautifully written by best-selling children's author Lily Murray, this book explores life spans across the animal kingdom, beginning with the very shortest and ending with the longest. Learn about the lives of the incredible monarch butterfly, the mysterious axolotl, the grand Galápagos tortoise, and many more in this uplifting and eye-opening book.

Discover creatures who are born within a day of their mothers and others who stay infantile for almost one hundred years. Stunning illustrations by highly commended artist Jesse Hodgson perfectly capture each animal in their natural habitat, making this both an ideal gift book as well as an educational read.

Select format:
Hardcover
$21.99

Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review
 Well-researched text and winning visuals anchor a fascinating look at life spans.

Review quotes

The illustrations in this book will draw readers in immediately and the content will keep them turning the pages. Author Lily Murray provides exquisitely written text which explores life spans across the animal kingdom. . . This book spectacularly captures what a life span represents in nature. . . . With engaging content and a wealth of potential STEM connections, this is an excellent book for budding biologists, zoologists, and anyone who loves animals.
—School Library Connection (starred review)

Murray writes clearly, with a good sense of what will interest kids. The large format showcases Hodgson's digitally enhanced colored-pencil drawings. Unified in style but varied in their settings, details, and dramatic effects, the pictures helpfully illustrate habitats and successive life cycle stages. . . An intriguing book for animal lovers young and old.
—Booklist (starred review)
Lily Murray
Lily Murray grew up in the wilds of snowy nowhere, spending much of her time making up stories. She has continued to do this in her adult life, and now writes both fiction and nonfiction books for children. Her titles include big books about dinosaurs, rhyming books about dinosaurs, and stories about escapee hot dogs.

Jenny Løvlie grew up in Northern Norway on Ekkerøy, a tiny peninsula sticking out into the Barents Sea, where she was the first child to be born in twelve years. She moved to London to study illustration & animation at Kingston University and now lives in Cardiff. She won the Waterstones Children's book prize for Best Illustrated Book for The Girls, written by Lauren Ace.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781536229752
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Big Picture Press
Publication date
March 20, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Zoology
JNF003000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
Animal life cycles

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!