The Book Of Whales

Originally written in Dutch, Adriaen Coenen's illustrated manuscripts represent the first European natural history of whales and other marine animals.

A nonfiction picture book full of great charm and beauty, The Blue Whale is both informative and completely captivating!

From the author of The Hidden Lives of Owls, an exploration of the elusive lives of whales in the Pacific Ocean, home to orcas, humpbacks, sperm, blue, and gray whales. Leigh Calvez has spent a dozen years researching, observing, and probing the lives of the giants of the deep. Here, she relates the stories of nature's most remarkable creatures, including the familial orcas in the waters of Washington State and British Columbia; the migratory humpbacks; the ancient, deep-diving blue whales, the largest animals on the planet. The lives of these whales are conveyed through the work of dedicated researchers who have spent decades tracking them along their secretive routes that extend for thousands of miles, gleaning their habits and sounds and distinguishing peculiarities. The author invites the reader onto a small research catamaran maneuvering among 100-foot long blue whales off the coast of California; or to join the task of monitoring patterns of humpback whale movements at the ocean surface: tail throw, flipper slap, fluke up, or blow. To experience whales is breathtaking. To understand their lives deepens our connection with the natural world.

This provocative book of photography offers bold new insight into the lives of the world's largest mammals, along with their complex societies. In these pages, we learn that whales share an amazing ability to learn and adapt to opportunities, from specialized feeding strategies to parenting techniques. There is also evidence of deeper, cultural elements of whale identity, from unique dialects to matrilineal societies to organized social customs like singing contests. Featuring the arresting underwater images of Brian Skerry, who has explored and documented oceans for over four decades, this book will document these alluring creatures in all their glory--and demonstrate how these majestic creatures can teach us about ourselves and our planet.

In Big Whales, Small World you will meet whales from around the world. This rhyming photographic board book visits the oceans of places like New Zealand, Russia and South America. Writer, filmmaker and orca activist Mark Leiren-Young introduces young readers to blue whales bigger than dinosaurs and tiny vaquitas who swim close to shores.

"Did you know that the biggest animal on Earth, the blue whale, only eats some of the smallest creatures in the ocean? That humpback whales sing underwater songs with lots of verses? Or that orcas can live with their families for their whole lives and bowhead whales can live for more than 200 years? The World of Whales explores the special characteristics and reveals mind-blowing facts about these fantastic animals. Join our sub-aquatic expedition through the vast oceans of our planet." --

“Reflects great admiration and wonder for all humpback whales ... A true homage to these wondrous creatures.” —Kirkus (STARRED Review) This evocative picture book celebrates a child’s connection and kinship with whales. Swimming, singing, and blowing bubbles—children and baby whales love many of the same things! This lyrical picture book shows us how whales’ underwater lives are touchingly like our own. Patterned in a call-and-response format, Show Us Where You Live, Humpback begs to be read aloud at bedtime, and includes: Wondrous facts about humpback whales A celebration of our connection with the natural world Beautiful and captivating illustrations At the story’s end, acclaimed author Beryl Young and debut illustrator Sakika Kikuchi leave readers gently falling asleep, dreaming of the wonderful world we share with whales.

Waiting for the Whales illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child and celebrates the restorative power of the natural world. An old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea, tends his garden and waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. Until, one day, an unexpected visitor arrives. Originally published over thirty years ago, this award-winning picture book is sure to enchant a whole new generation of readers.