Wild Orca: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World

by Brenda Peterson, Wendell Minor (Illustrator)

Overview

A picture book homage to Granny, the world’s oldest known orca, who lived to be 105 years old!
For animal lovers and future environmentalists.

“Will Granny and her family come again this year?” Dark fins slice through whitecaps, heading straight toward shore.

Told from the perspective of young Mia and her family on a whale-watching excursion in the San Juan Islands, here is a moving homage to Granny, the world’s oldest known orca. This intimate and informative story celebrates the importance of respecting and protecting wildlife. It also sheds light on communication and family connections in both human and orca communities, all while answering essential questions about how these intelligent animals live.

Christy Ottaviano Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250224132
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	09/18/2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brenda Peterson is the author of Seal Pup Rescue, Leopard and Silkie, the National Geographic book Sightings: The Gray Whale's Mysterious Journey and Duck and Cover, a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year." She lives in Washington and is a co-founder of Seal Sitters.

Wendell Minor is the illustrator of many award-winning picture books for children, including Robert Burleigh's Abraham Lincoln Comes Home, If You Spend a Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond and Edward Hopper Paints His World, as well as the New York Times–bestselling Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin. He lives in Washington, Connecticut.

Brenda Peterson is the author of over sixteen books, including the National Geographic book Sightings: The Gray Whale’s Mysterious Journey and Duck and Cover, a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year.” Her memoir I Want To Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth was chosen as an Indie Next “Best Top Read” and named among the “Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books of 2010” by The Christian Science Monitor. Peterson lives on the Salish Sea in Seattle, Washington, and is a co-founder of Seal Sitters.
Wendell Minor is the award-winning and bestselling illustrator of numerous books, including Ghost Ship, by Mary Higgins Clark. He lives in Washington, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

A Junior Library Guild Selection
An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book

"Evocative watercolor illustrations show the appealing whales swimming and communicating, with the text integrating the whales' signature sounds into the story. An informative and entertaining introduction to this intriguing endangered species."—Kirkus Reviews

"Minor’s glorious gouache paintings capture the joy of the day, setting the stage, introducing the characters—both human and dolphin—and showing these gymnasts in action. . . An engaging, possibly inspiring addition to any nature collection."—School Library Journal

"Minor's fullbleed paintings of the orcas and their admirers, especially the underwater scenes, are stunning. An intriguing, visually appealing introduction to a remarkable animal."—Booklist

From the Publisher

08/01/2018
PreS-Gr 3—On the longest day of the year, people gather in the San Juan Islands to celebrate returning wild orcas. Loosely based on an actual "superpod" episode in 2008 (though it is never disclosed in the text), this sweet tale of waiting to welcome pods J, K, and L, led by Granny, the matriarch, serves as a framework to introduce the largest species in the dolphin family. With her researching parents, Mia listens with a hydrophone, thinking about the orcas' sophisticated communication and sonar. She worries about environmental threats, and watches for "bright blows of orca breath." Readers learn about orca travels, childcare, and an earlier stranding. Finally, all three pods arrive. The orcas leap and spin, clicking, calling, and whistling. Granny waves a flipper at Mia. In the back matter, readers learn that Granny was probably 105 when she disappeared in 2016. The author explains that "killer whales" is inappropriate for these salmon-eaters but she refers to them as whales throughout. She adds additional information and suggests ways for readers to get involved in conservation efforts. Minor's glorious gouache paintings capture the joy of the day, setting the stage, introducing the characters—both human and dolphin—and showing these gymnasts in action; Granny even spyhops in a rotated spread. Members of the Samish Indian Nation, a group that feel close ties to these extraordinary aquatic mammals, appear in the festival spread though they aren't mentioned in the text. The endpapers are helpful maps. VERDICT An engaging, possibly inspiring addition to any nature collection.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

School Library Journal