"Vivid illustrations juxtapose the beauty and scale of the natural world that the children explore. . . . This necessary read decolonizes the Western construction of climate change."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The sacred art of Indigenous storytelling is beautifully upheld in The Whale Child. It teaches us of our relationship with the living Earth, about balance and respect and the responsibilities that we hold toward one another across species. The story guides the reader using traditional Coast Salish lore in a contemporary narrative, masterfully weaving the timeless wisdom of Indigenous ways of knowing into our current reality. The whale child's journey is taken for us all. We must bear witness.”
—Sherri Mitchell Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset, author of Sacred Instructions

“Those of us with hands and feet (alas) who self-identify as members of the Earth’s Whale Tribe now have a new wonderful, strong, kind, and happy tale to represent us, and with which to remember our connection to All Things by. The Whale Child provides that ‘smart step in the right direction’ we all need.”
—Paul Owen Lewis, author and illustrator of Storm Boy and Frog Girl 

“The Whale Child is an environmental fable for our time. This is the story of Alex, daughter of a mixed Coast Salish and Polynesian family and Shiny, a whale turned briefly human to impart the wisdom of the ocean to humanity. The book is at turns educational, poignant, warm, sad, and funny. Chenoa and Keith Egawa’s delicate watercolor illustrations evoke the chill water, crisp air, and glowing sunshine of the beautiful Salish Sea. . . . The Whale Child is an important book for children, parents, and teachers to read and ponder.”
—Bryn Barnard, author of The New Ocean
 
“A long time ago, we didn’t have to be taught that everything has a spirit, a life force, a memory, a moment that all things came into existence. . . . Brother and sister Keith and Chenoa Egawa bring us back to those teachings in their story The Whale Child. . . . We learn how to quiet our minds to hear the message that mother earth holds the cure, the answers, and the way to heal her if we just take a moment to reconnect and hear what she has to say.”
—Janine Gibbons, Haida artist and children's book illustrator for Baby Raven Reads series, Sealaska Heritage Institute

“For the Coast Salish people, the nonhuman living world is not filled with resources to be abused and extracted—rather, these are our relatives that carry our original instructions. . . . Promoting these concepts and the necessary fusion of Indigenous ecological perspectives with western understandings is the fully realized mantra narrated for us in this marvelous story. The critical insights of our responsibilities and the truth of reciprocity—particularly with water, the first medicine—are woven into each page. Through playful adventure, the essence of ancient instructions emerges in the context of a modern world.”
—Valerie Segrest, Muckleshoot, author, Native food systems strategist and wild medicine expert

“A treasure of a book—educational, inspirational, and beautiful!"
—Keely Parrack, author of Morning, Sunshine!

09/01/2020

Gr 3–6—A young whale turns into a human boy for a day in order to teach a girl respect for the natural world. Shiny, the whale child, and Alex, the human girl, learn about water, animals, pollution, and personal responsibility as they travel the coast and witness the damage wrought by humans, including Shiny's mother getting caught in a fisherman's net. After Shiny returns to the sea, Alex teaches her peers to fight for the Earth. Egawa's full-page watercolor illustrations are richly detailed and add a sense of magic to the text, even when depicting the costs of human littering. A glossary of terms, classroom resources, and background information on the Coast Salish people of the Pacific Northwest complete the text. While the environmental message is strong, dialogue is often awkward and stilted, and the characters veer more to being pedagogical tools than fully realized personalities. It's clear that the authors have great respect and care for the subject matter at hand and for the Coast Salish people. VERDICT This text has much to offer, but may struggle to find its audience. Purchase where environmental read-alouds are popular.—Kelsey Socha, Springfield City Lib., MA

★ 2020-07-28
A whale child and his mother share a dream of their human relatives.

The whale child has been chosen to turn into human form and teach the lessons of the ocean to his human sister, Alex, who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her Coast Salish mother and Polynesian father. For several days, the whale in boy form leads Alex on an environmental learning journey, taking her on daily walks to educate her about the negative impact that human culture has had on the environment. He teaches Alex about water pollution, overfishing, and climate change that inevitably leads to the extinction of many animal species and the destruction of ecosystems. When he returns to the ocean in his original whale form, it is up to Alex now to teach what she has learned to other humans. Vivid illustrations juxtapose the beauty and scale of the natural world that the children explore. The story is followed by extensive backmatter: a glossary of environmental terms, a brief history of the Pacific Northwest Native cultures, classroom learning activities, and ideas for student projects. Infusing qualities of traditional storytelling into the narrative, Keith Egawa (Lummi) and Chenoa Egawa (Lummi and S’Klallam) offer a perspective on climate change from the lens of Indigenous people. By relating the tale through the eyes of children, the author-illustrator team evokes an empathy that should stir a wide audience.

This necessary read decolonizes the Western construction of climate change. (Fiction. 7-12)