TBR Recommendation from Gianna

Vega and her younger brother Deneb share the storytelling of a number of challenges and disasters they confront, including the death of a newborn sister; an earthquake and subsequent tidal wave; separation from the rest of their pod; and a lack of salmon.

Rich back matter includes information and photos of the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) community, a map of the Salish Sea, information about orcas, First Nations of the Salish Sea, other creatures that live there, and "how can I help?"

See also: Odder by Katherine Applegate

Quotes

A little together is more than a feast alone. (13)

I do try. Every day. But Aquila only sees when I do it wrong. (36)

"Always remember, together is better than apart." (Greatmother, 63)

"Watch the water. Always. Do not look away from what you do not understand. Sometimes it will happen in a heartbeat and sometimes in a hundred seasons, but whatever touches the water will touch us all." (Mother, 97)

A will to survive....But not just will....Will, and the knowledge to navigate by. (144)

No, those doubts are a stone I do not have to carry. (246)

I do not know how little ones let go of hard times so easily. My worries stick to me like so many barnacles. (285) ( )

Cleverly done -- the storytelling is compelling, and the message is all about the struggles facing the Southern resident orca population -- starvation from loss of Salmon, warming waters, boat noise. Fast moving, excellent illustrations, respectful messages about Indigenous tribes. Love that it's centered on the Salish Sea, and the voice is just perfect to appeal to middle grade readers who love animals. I also really enjoyed the various dramas (earthquake, looking for pod, other orca populations and their food incompatibilities) -- it's just really interesting and an excellent example of how show impacts readers more than tell. Good back matter as well. ( )

I was SO surprised by this story. This was my first exposure to the author and honestly, when I first read about the story, I thought...a story through the eyes of a whale, how interesting! That first impression did nothing to prepare me for the struggles, the triumphs, the worries, the journeys, the heartache, and the wisdom within.

You don't simply play the part of a watcher in this story; as things unfold, you are every bit a part of it. From the moment you meet Vega and Denab, Mother and Greatmother, Uncle and cousins and the whole family pod, you are a part of the group...for better or worse. I say this because there are things to celebrate...the chance of new life, the hope for tomorrow, and the love of family, whether they be blood or "strangers"...but there are also many realities that hit me rather hard. The loss of a family member, the great quake, the separation, the struggle to survive even when you're not the normally hunted animal of the sea...and then seeing both the positive and negative ways man can impact their habitat. I really liked how the author wove that balance into the story. It was never one or the other was clearly the bad guy, but rather there were those among them that were working for the greater good, trying to find that equilibrium between their world and ours because ultimately in the end, they are in fact one and the same.

So, if you're looking for a story that packs a punch, a tale that doesn't shy from the realities that animals and humans face every day, and reminds us to treat the planet as a treasure not a wasteland, this is most definitely a book for you!


**ARC received for review; opinions are my own ( )

Rosanne Parry returns to animal fiction in this gripping story of two young orcas who must find their way after a series of tragedies separate them from their pod. Used to following her Greatmother, who is the wayfinder for their group, Vega nevertheless has some potential as a wayfinder herself. Grieving the death of her newborn sister, Capella, she leaves her family pod in anger, determined to take the baby's remains to a special spot. Her younger brother Deneb follows after her, determined to bring her back to the family. While thus separated from the larger group, a terrible undersea earthquake occurs, and together with much of the marine life of the Salish Sea, Vega and Deneb head desperately for the safety of the open ocean, where the depths will provide them a refuge from the destructive waves that are coming. Having endured this natural disaster, the siblings must find a way to survive going forward, and Vega takes her place as the wayfinder. But can she find the salmon that she and her brother need to survive? And will they ever be reunited with their family...?

I absolutely loved Parry's A Wolf Called Wander, about the lonely journey of a wolf whose pack had been attacked and dispersed, and who traveled the Oregon wilderness, looking for a new home and family, so I picked up A Whale of the Wild with a great deal of anticipation. That anticipation was made all the keener by the fact that it was illustrated by Lindsay Moore, whose picture-book, Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival, I found both beautiful and moving. Happily, I was not disappointed on either score, finding the story here immensely engaging, and the artwork simply lovely. There were moments of great sadness in the story, and moments of wonder as well, and Parry did an excellent job capturing the perspectives of Vega and Deneb throughout their many experiences, incorporating interesting information about orcas - the fact that they share food in their pods, or that they never attack humans - into her text in a natural way. I found myself utterly engrossed in this tale, hoping against hope that the pair would find the rest of their family, and overjoyed at every success they experienced. The dangers of life in the wild - some natural, some manmade - make the story more suspenseful as well, and I was so relieved when, having found Aquila and Altair, Vega was able to lead them to salmon in time to save the former from the hunger sickness. I was also struck by the scene in which Vega and her brother work with the humans on shore, to restore the river where the salmon spawn, and came away wondering if there were real-life human/orca interactions that might have inspired that part of the story. As mentioned, the artwork was absolutely gorgeous, capturing the beauty of the orcas and the world around them, and making the reading process far more pleasurable. The detailed afterword gives more information about orcas and their world, and offers children concrete steps they can take, in helping to preserve and protect our natural world, and help the orcas.

All in all, a delightful, moving, educational and inspiring book, one I would recommend to all middle-grade readers (or readers of middle-grade fiction) who enjoy animal stories, or who appreciate tales with unusual and unexpected perspectives. ( )