This breath-by-breath glimpse offers a magnificent snapshot of an otherwise hidden moment that conveys with deep emotional impact the parallels of creaturely life.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
[Cusolito’s] concise yet eloquent text immerses young people in the watery setting, letting them feel the whales’ clicks as they “tingle” and “vibrate” and emphasizing the strength of these animals’ social bonds. Lanan’s fluid, pristine artwork echoes the underwater photography, with clear, blue-washed images that suggest both immense grandeur and the shadowy sublime. . . . A brief yet powerful moment of intimacy, inspiration, and awe.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
If ever the description of a rare natural encounter will leave readers filled with wonder, look to these spare, luminous observations of a sperm-whale pod clustering about a just-born calf.
—Booklist (starred review)
It is refreshing to have a book celebrating awhale birth. . . .The text incorporates effervescent onomatopoeia with whooshing exhales and pfff-ing bubbles. . . . Lanan’s depiction of the ocean is masterful. . . . A masterpiece of illustration, this book is essential for all collections.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Cusolito’s precise, evocative prose and Jessica Lanan’s radiant aquamarine illustrations beautifully capture this transformative underwater encounter. . . .it manages to convey the magic and wonder of the broader natural world, and the careful, respectful ways in which humans need to understand, observe and protect it.
—BookPage (starred review)
Cusolito clearly delineates between fact and speculation. Lanan’s watercolor and ink illustrations bring readers into this majestic, alien environment, mirroring the diver’s belief that the whales are welcoming him to this special event.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
The third-person text relays pertinent whale info clearly and succinctly but maintains a respectful, curious tone, underlining what scientists do and do not know about the whale world. . . . Pair this with the exploration of a whale’s death in Brunelle’s magnificent Life After Whale for an informative look at the beginning and the ending of one of Earth’s most fascinating creatures.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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