Whale, That Was Unexpected

Written by Casey Lyall

Illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Tundra Books 

 978-1-77488-361-7

40 pp.

Ages 3–7

Releases June 30, 2026 

 

Maude believes she's seen everything. Going out on the sea in her little fishing boat with her dog Claude year after year, Maude doesn't expect anything different. But soon she learns that anything can happen. 

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

It's a typical day of fishing for Maude and Claude. Her boat, aptly called trusty little boat, has all she needs plus snacks, a cozy armchair, and tea service. Unbeknownst to Maude, there is a humongous whale beneath the boat.

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Soon Maude and Claude and the little boat are tossed to and fro as they are swallowed by the whale. Maude doesn't waste time flipping out about their circumstances. Instead, she begins to prepare a goodbye party. 

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

She and Claude paint a big banner that proclaims, "Farewell Maude and Claude" and they recruit the writer to proclaim the official farewells. So begin the farewells. And there are many.

Farewell, Maude, a grand old dame.

Farewell, Claude, sixth of his name.  

Farewell, trusty little boat. (pg. 16-18)

And just as they prepare to say goodbye, there's a magnificent "whooosh" and a crab and an octopus are thrown onto the deck. Well, now there will more farewells that will need to be said. It's a cumulative story, that goes from farewells to Maude and Claude and a little boat, to include that crab and octopus, as well as a goat, a sea lion, and a puffin, before they can get to their party.

From Whale, That Was Unexpected, written by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

But how they revel in that farewell will be a whale of a story of another kind, and one that even Maude could not imagine.

 

Casey Lyall has made Maude the perfect curmudgeon. Her dour expression is only matched by her matter-of-fact attitude. Maude just does what she always does and is only mildly miffed when things go differently, but with a casual air. When she realizes that they've been swallowed by the whale, her response is, "Well, how about that." (pg. 11). Then she starts planning a farewell party to commemorate their imminent departure from the world. And with each new arrival, Maude takes it in strike, adds to their banner, and gets the author to add more farewells to their tribute. Maude is such a character, as is Claude in his own quiet way. Maude is folksy and unfussy, taking all in stride. Even near the end when Maude and her guests are immersed on a flooded deck, she berates the author to, "Speed it up a little. I'm hungry." (pg. 29) With Maude and Claude and a host of other characters, Casey Lyall brings the humour to a bleak situation. And, with her punny word choices and repetitive and cheeky farewells, Casey Lyall makes being swallowed by a whale less frightening and more inconvenience to Maude and more playful for readers.

 

My first impression of Toronto's Kathryn Durst artwork is amazement at how she makes Maude both grumpy and matter-of-fact about her circumstances. Nothing fazes her. (Maude, that is.) From the striking marionette lines on Maude's face, her no-nonsense work clothes, and practical hair braids, Maude is a woman who has lived a life on the water and is nonplussed about getting swallowed by a whale. Beyond the characters, Kathryn Durst gives us a richly textured landscape, both in and out of the whale. The maritime community is a colourful patchwork of colours and shapes, which Kathryn Durst brings to the limited deck of the trusty little boat. The inside of the whale may be dark but even it has character through line and colour. 

 

For a whale of a tale and word play at sea, Casey Lyall and Kathryn Durst's Whale, That Was Unexpected is a voyage of epic fun and colour. And coming from Casey Lyall, that was absolutely expected.

When Spider Met Shrew

Written by Deborah Kerbel

Illustrated by Geneviève Côté

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-563-2

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

September 2022

 

When a group of animals realize that there's something missing in their lives, they come together in a unique way to help each other out.

From When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Geneviève Côté

The story begins with a hungry spider who creates a web to catch its food. But when the wind grabs the spider and its web, Spider makes the acquaintance of a shrew whose field is about to be plowed. Spider offers to help Shrew find a new home.

 

When a storm strikes, they take shelter in the tree of a bat, who is wet, and an opossum, who has lost its mother. The foursome go off in search of Possum's mother until they meet a depressed beagle saddened by the loss of her puppies. Dog is invited to be Possum's new mom, at least temporarily, and they all get on Dog's back. Bat can now move around, even though its wetness prevents flight; Shrew can share in Dog's doghouse; Possum has a surrogate mom on whose back they can travel; and Dog is needed again. Finally they meet Pony who misses the fun they used to have with a human riding them. Guess what they all do?  After that, there is only one need to fulfill and that's the one that started this whole story.

From When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Geneviève Côté

Cumulative tales, those that build with repeated words or actions to progress the story, are fabulous for engaging young readers and helping them recognize words. Though a modified cumulative tale in that the words are repeated but not rigorously throughout the story, When Spider Met Shrew has that echoing of a spider who is hungry, a shrew who is homeless, a bat who is wet, an opossum who is scared and a dog who is sad. (Since the pony is at the end of the story, their boredom doesn't get repeated.) Deborah Kerbel gives us that repetition but goes beyond and that's what makes When Spider Met Shrew a little different. Whether children will read the story themselves or as part of a story time read-aloud, they'll get into the rhythm of the story, but they will also feel for the plights of the animals and appreciate their compassionate companionship that results in a happy ending that comes from helping out a friend or two, in their own way. Cumulative tales can be on the simple side, relying on the reiteration to carry the story, but, by embedding that repetition in a story of different animals feeling vulnerable because of human interference, the cycle of life, weather and time, Deborah Kerbel makes us feel not just laugh.

From When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Geneviève Côté

Likewise, Geneviève Côté's watercolour illustrations may look simple with a background and a couple of animals, but the artwork is far more complex in its emotional substance. The burdens of the animals are evident both in words and graphics and their willingness to express those vulnerabilities enables them to get the support they require.

Alone a spider, a shrew, a bat, an opossum, a dog and a pony have hunger, homeless, sadness and more, but together they have better.

This is the Boat that Ben Built

Written by Jen Lynn Bailey
Illustrated by Maggie Zeng

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-242-4

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

March 2022 

While many cumulative tales, those in which the story starts with one person or thing and continues to add new elements while repeating those already introduced, are often humourous and can lead to the absurd, This is the Boat that Ben Built actually has a sense of calm about it. OK, there is a little bit of the silly, but only enough to provide a giggle and a smile to the relaxing atmosphere of a child on a northern Canadian river amidst a plethora of land, water and sky creatures.

From This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey, illus. by Maggie Zeng

Under the watchful eye of his life-vested mother and dog on shore, Ben heads out in his boat Explorer on a peaceful river. He's well prepared with his binoculars, fishing gear, and investigative tools like a journal, magnifying glass and jars.

From This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey, illus. by Maggie Zeng

From This is the boat that Ben built, the reader progresses with the young boy to the river (This is the river that carries the boat that Ben built), to the fish that swim in the river, the beaver that builds there, the loon that floats, a goose that grins, a black bear, a moose, a heron and owl. And then there's mayhem!

From This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey, illus. by Maggie Zeng

This is the Boat that Ben Built ends as calmly as it started, though Ben has added some travellers to his boat, and all young readers will be both entertained and educated as the repetitive text moves the story from tranquility to tumult and back to balance. By wrapping her lessons on the fauna of the northern river ecosystem in the humour of a goofy story of animals in a wild chain reaction, author Jen Lynn Bailey is providing valuable STEM lessons for young children and amusing them with the antics on the river. So, for teachers who need to introduce their students to the interrelationships of living things or those who want to blend some science into their reading programs–cumulative, repetitive stories are fabulous for growing readers–This is the Boat that Ben Built ticks all the boxes.

 

Of course, Maggie Zeng's artwork just adds to both the calmness and the sweetness of the story. Another illustrator might have leaned to the silly but Maggie Zeng keeps with the naturalness of a river ecosystem, giving the animals, the people and the landscape all identifiable attributes but with a softness that comes of awareness of audience and message. The river alone, whether of the turquoise green or yellow-green of sediment rich waters, is as easy moving as the story, carrying Ben and his boat as it does young readers.

From This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey, illus. by Maggie Zeng

This is the Boat that Ben Built is a tale of discovery and appreciation for a natural ecosystem but Jen Lynn Bailey and Maggie Zeng do well to tie it to a bit of silliness that will have kids laughing as they learn.

🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

To learn more about This is the Boat that Ben Built, check out its upcoming virtual book launch, free to all ages, with author Jen Lynn Bailey and illustrator Maggie Zeng on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 from 7- 8 PM EST.  Registration for this event can be accessed at bit.ly/boatben