Lynne Cox (1) (1957–)

If you're an animal lover or just enjoy nature in general, I recommend this to you. The author's talent for vivid description was what I liked most about this book, which is about her encounter with a baby whale while training off the California coast (she had swum the English Channel by the time she was 15 years old). She seems to have remembered every detail of those hours when she swam with the baby gray whale, searching for its mother; I enjoyed reading about the many animals she encountered and the colors and movement of the water at different depths and distances from the shore.

Less enjoyable were the author's pauses in the narrative to philosophize to the reader, and at times directly to the baby whale.

Grayson, don't go. We'll find your mother. Be patient. Sometimes you just have to believe. Sometimes that belief gets you where you want to go, sometimes it carries you a little closer, and then you discover another way.

This is the type of thing that makes me throw myself on the floor and pretend to be in my death throes. Or at least make rude noises with my mouth.

She was also a bit heavy-handed with the similes.

While the above complaints did knock my rating down a couple stars, I was moved by the story and was generally glad I read it. If it were a longer book, I might not feel that way, but I liked more than I didn't like in the 148 pages she took to tell her story.… (plus d'informations)

New-Zealand, elephant-seal, Christchurch, adventure, experiment, choices, home, swimming, environment, danger*****

What a great story! And it's mostly true! Elizabeth Queen of the seas was the name given by people in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand to an elephant seal who totally defied convention and chose to live in and around the river that runs through the city. This is her story and it has information at the end about the breed known as elephant seals (who weigh more than 15 Labrador retrievers). There is also a photo of her!
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or public library!
The illustrations by Brian Floca are delightful, imaginative, and colorful.
I was lucky to find this one on sale for granddaughter Elizabeth!… (plus d'informations)