Starred review from July 8, 2024
In prose both graceful and suspenseful, Fleming (Mine!) introduces the “shy,/ swift/ small (for a whale)” narwhal, weaving scientific observation into gripping
storytelling. Icy landscapes and naturalistic, watery blue aquatic scenes of whales and other marine life by So’oteh, making her picture book debut, add to the drama. Opening with a description of the mammal’s most distinctive feature—“a single/ twisting/ rod of ivory/ that sprouts from your upper left jaw”—lines describe the way male narwhals use their tusks for combat. Subsequent pages trace the rhythms of narwhal life, first in the winter as they dive for fish and surface to breathe, and next as summer migration to warmer southern seas draws hundreds, some with newborn calves. Returning north, a sudden freeze threatens the pod, whose members cannot breathe beneath the ice. And when they create a small hole to surface, they’re exposed to predators (“You are discovered!”), a moment captured from the narwhal’s underwater view as a polar bear puts an enormous paw into the breathing hole. Together, art and text make this species biography not merely a lesson but an adventure, too. Ages 4–8.
Starred review from August 15, 2024
A young narwhal joins others of its kind on a long and perilous Arctic migratory round. "You are a narwhal," Fleming writes, "shy, / swift, / small (for a whale)." With one giant tooth that is "taller than a man," not to mention "green with algae," "alive with sea lice," and still, researchers say, of uncertain function, the sleek, mottled form in So'Oteh's glowing, light-drenched marine settings floats sociably with other members of its pod. "Side by side by side," the whales peek out through a gap in the ice until hunger leads to a rolling dive into darker regions for food. Lengthening days signal that it's time to move to summer waters, avoiding predatory orcas; at summer's end, the annual migration continues, despite the spread of ice across the water and roving polar bears that make access to the air hazardous. Simultaneously immersive, lyrical, and informative, Fleming's text shines, accompanied by So'Oteh's luminous art. Narwhals may not (yet) be endangered, the author concludes, even if their Arctic habitat is definitely threatened by climate change. The species may be of "least concern" to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but in the wake of this sympathetic portrait and its substantially factual afterword, readers will find these real-life unicorns of "most interest." Rich in facts and feelings, a warm invitation to join the pod of sea mammal lovers. (bibliography)(Informational picture book. 6-9)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from September 1, 2024
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Fleming adds to her oeuvre of picture books introducing distinctive animals with this lyrical paean to the world's smallest whale. Using a second person present tense perspective, she encourages readers to imagine that they are narwhals: jousting with their tusk (""thick as a lamppost, / taller than a man, / . . . green with algae and alive with sea lice""); searching for leads (cracks of open water that enable these Arctic mammals to breathe); avoiding hungry orcas, walruses, and sea lions; and diving, sometimes a mile deep, in search of food (""You flip upside down to feed, / suck the fish into your toothless mouth, / swallow it whole.""). So'Oteh's bold digital art makes good use of light and dark, portraying textures and details so vividly they almost resemble photographs. Most spreads flow horizontally, except for one double-gatefold (depicting a deep dive for food) that requires a 90-degree turn. Dark blues and greens predominate in the underwater scenes with a wider palette employed above the surface. Appended with an informative author's note that acknowledges the importance of Inuit knowledge and contributions to current narwhal research, as well as suggested reading, this will be popular with animal lovers everywhere--particularly those convinced these unicorns are imaginary.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2024
Readers are immediately immersed in the life of a narwhal as the unseen narrator invites them into the narrative: "You are a narwhal -- / shy, / swift, / small (for a whale)." Thus begins a glimpse into the seasonal behaviors of these distinctive animals. It is winter, and the narwhal jousts with another male, swims in the leads (nicely defined in both text and illustrations), and dives deep for food. A striking and informative vertical gatefold depicts the near-mile-long fishing expedition, while the text explains that at those depths narwhals use echolocation to find food. As summer approaches, the narwhals migrate as a pod, following the same path they and their ancestors have used before. The shallow summer waters hold dangers such as hungry orcas, but this pod outsmarts them. As the days grow shorter, indicating it's time to leave, a blizzard temporarily traps the pod under the ice. As in similar books (most recently Polar Bear, rev. 11/22), Fleming does not overdramatize these challenges but presents them as a natural part of survival. So'Oteh's digital illustrations detail the majestic settings both on the surface and at great depths, while emphasizing the grace of these mammals. Particularly enlightening back matter expands on the text, offering, for example, more detail on jousting, narwhals' deep dives, and questions surrounding how they will adapt to climate change. Fleming provides a glimpse into the research process, ranging from adapting new advances in technology to partnerships with Indigenous peoples. A bibliography completes this fine book. Betty Carter
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2024
Readers are immediately immersed in the life of a narwhal as the unseen narrator invites them into the narrative: "You are a narwhal -- / shy, / swift, / small (for a whale)." Thus begins a glimpse into the seasonal behaviors of these distinctive animals. It is winter, and the narwhal jousts with another male, swims in the leads (nicely defined in both text and illustrations), and dives deep for food. A striking and informative vertical gatefold depicts the near-mile-long fishing expedition, while the text explains that at those depths narwhals use echolocation to find food. As summer approaches, the narwhals migrate as a pod, following the same path they and their ancestors have used before. The shallow summer waters hold dangers such as hungry orcas, but this pod outsmarts them. As the days grow shorter, indicating it's time to leave, a blizzard temporarily traps the pod under the ice. As in similar books (most recently Polar Bear, rev. 11/22), Fleming does not overdramatize these challenges but presents them as a natural part of survival. So'oteh's digital illustrations detail the majestic settings both on the surface and at great depths, while emphasizing the grace of these mammals. Particularly enlightening back matter expands on the text, offering, for example, more detail on jousting, narwhals' deep dives, and questions surrounding how they will adapt to climate change. Fleming provides a glimpse into the research process, ranging from adapting new advances in technology to partnerships with Indigenous peoples. A bibliography completes this fine book.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)