As she did earlier with bears (Little One , 2016), Weaver profiles a large mammal in its natural habitat. Here she follows an adult female gray whale and her calf, Little Whale, as they migrate over 12,400 miles from the warm southern seas to the icy northern waters of their summer home. Little Whale is full of questions ( Where are we going? and Are we nearly there? ); Mom's replies are brief but encouraging ( On a long journey ; I'm right beside you, keep going! ). Along the way, the pair encounter coral reefs, passing ships, and dangerous orcas before finally rejoining their pod. Weaver's lyrical text is accompanied by stunning charcoal illustrations, which beautifully capture this habitat, both above and below the water line. The well-designed illustrations (printed on thick stock with a bluish tint) make excellent use of light and dark in depicting sunlit waters filled with a variety of sea life. The slight anthropomorphism never distracts; rather, it generates a coziness that young readers will appreciate, as will the theme of finding home.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2018 Booklist

PreS-Gr 3-Soft whale-gray/blue charcoal drawings render a realistic picture of a gray whale and her calf making their epic journey from warm southern birth waters to the cold waters of their northern "home." Little Whale is puzzled by the long swim, not knowing what "home" means, and keeps asking "Are we nearly there?" like any impatient youngster. They pass kelp forests and coral reefs, evade shipping vessels, and elude orcas on their long migration to join "family" in the north. The simple, comforting text and the graceful illustrations keep perfect time, lending a quiet satisfaction to a story perfect for bed/laptime. Inviting to the eye and gently informative, this is a soft introduction to gray whales and animal migrations. VERDICT Pair this great read-aloud with Sharon Kate Cooper's informative When Whales Cross the Sea: The Gray Whale Migration for a second look at these majestic creatures.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A gray whale and her calf migrate from south to north in this British import.As in Weaver's debut, Little One (2016), luminous charcoal illustrations reveal and enhance a loving relationship between an animal mother and (non-gender-specific) child. Double-page spreads in varying shades of blue show the mother and calf swimming past coral reefs, over waving fronds of seaweed, through schools of fish, under a starry sky, and on and on through the vast sea on their journey home. The monochromatic pages sparkle with sunlight, evoke the watery sway of plant life, and capture the vastness of the open ocean as appropriate. A pod of orcas provides a frisson of danger, the calf's exhaustion a modicum of suspense, but overall the mood is serene. Imagined exchanges between Gray Whale and Little Whale will sound comfortingly familiar to both young listeners and adult readers. When the child/calf asks, "Are we nearly there?" the mother responds, "Not yet," and offers encouragement to continue swimming. While the dialogue obviously anthropomorphizes the characters somewhat, the pictures provide a generally realistic view of the animals and their habitat. The straightforward text, which tracks their progress and describes the natural world through which they travel, likewise emphasizes the fact-based nature of the tale.A soothing and appealing read-aloud, this lovely look under the sea may spark scientific curiosity in listeners. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gray Whale tenderly leads Little Whale from the "warm southern sea" to the "cool, rich waters of the North" to find food and join family. The blue-gray charcoal illustrations evoke the whales' underwater world. In one particularly arresting spread, the massive animals look small in the large expanse of ocean, adding to the impressiveness of the whales' migratory journey. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.