The Whale Who Swam Through Time
A Two-Hundred-Year Journey in the Arctic
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
This sweeping nonfiction picture book The Whale Who Swam Through Time explores the 200-year lifespan of a bowhead whale and the changing environment that surrounds her.
Almost 200 years ago . . .
Our journey begins with the birth of a bowhead whale, the longest-living mammal in the world. Over the course of her life in the Arctic, the bowhead whale witnesses many changes: from an era of peace and solitude to one of oil rigs and cruise liners.
With gorgeous, detailed, and striking illustrations, this well researched and thoughtfully curated nonfiction story captures the magic and beauty of the natural world, while also providing a thoughtful account of how humans have impacted our changing ecosystems and a call-to-action for protecting the environment.
A 2023 OSTB Selected Title
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Boersma and Pyenson's debut picture book, a reverent fictional tale of a bowhead whale, spans two centuries, centering the world's longest-living mammal while focusing attention on environmental changes that threaten it and other species. Checking in with the bowhead as a calf—and then again in 50-year increments—the narrative details human impacts on the Arctic habitat, such as whaling ships and plastics pollution. Watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations begin with the young whale in tranquil frozen seascapes before depicting discomfiting scenes of global warming and industrialization, including submarines, oil rigs, and ships. In a striking penultimate scene, the bowhead's progeny seemingly swim upward into a night sky, their constellation-like appearance perhaps hinting at an unclear future for the creatures, before end lines conclude with hope: "Bowhead whales are used to swimming through uncertain waters." Back matter includes an authors' note, scientific facts, and notes about other Arctic creatures. Ages 4–8.
