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.

Sea Snooze

Written by Sarabeth Holden

Illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-442-4

28 pp.

Ages 3-5

July 2024

 

While a mother reads a bedtime story to her children perched in their bed, their imaginations are invited to soar.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

All aboard our little boat!

We'll sail all night. Let's see where we float!

In their dream boat, they travel far and wide, over mountains and icy seas, where the stars shine bright and guide their way. They see gulls and guillemots, minke whales and belugas, and seals.  As the animals play and feed, the children sail across the waves.

Minkes in the sound exhale from their spouts,

spraying drops of sparkling water all about.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

These are but their dreams, spurred on by their mother's reading and their own lives in an Arctic environment. In fact, their bedroom provides all the setting elements, from the animals in a mobile near the bed, to a wallpaper border of water and starry sky, and stuffed bears and narwhal. (If readers look closely, they'll see the patches on the balloon tethered to their boat match those of the well-loved stuffed narwhal toy on the bed.) Their dreams come from their lives: the bed is their boat, its blankets their sails, and their experiences, from snacking on seaweed and fish to watching the wildlife of their Arctic home, give texture to their dreams.

Soon the morning will come,

the sunshine glittering gold,

with all the wonders that

the new day holds.

What a lovely rhyming text to send your own young ones into their nightly respite! They may not know of an Arctic home with an ocean rich with wildlife both in the water and above it, but they'll appreciate taking a boat to a wondrous place with familiar elements from their own lives. Author Sarabeth Holden, who also wrote Please Don't Change My Diaper! and Benny the Bananasaurus Rex, both of which were also illustrated by Emma Pedersen, may currently live in Toronto but her experiences living in Nunavut and being a mother feed her stories. Sea Snooze speaks to parents putting little ones to bed and to those same little ones visiting dreamland via their own experiences. A co-founder of the Toronto Inuit Association, Sarabeth Holden embeds this story in modern Inuit life whose homes could be anywhere in Canada. But, by emphasizing the landscape that only those of the far north would understand and the inclusion of an occasional Inuktitut word, Sarabeth Holden helps us see that the dreams of these children are unique to their home, and all the richer for their familiarity with it. Yet, with her energetic rhyming that has us travelling with the children on their dream boat, Sarabeth Holden is singing a lullaby for children to rest, imagine, and enjoy their lives in a different way.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Emma Pedersen keeps the playful in the soothing tranquility of children heading to sleep and into their dreams. From their colourful pajamas and bedding to their assortment of toys and art, these kids have wonderful energy to feed those dreams. And though their dreamworld is mostly one of dark turquoises and blues, not unlike the Arctic Ocean and a night sky, Emma Pedersen infuses those scapes with warmth in the playfulness of the animals and the whimsy in their faces and in the clouds. 

 

You might want to read Sea Snooze to your own little ones, perhaps before bedtime, so that they might be encouraged to use their imaginations to discover their own sleep journeys. Their beds may be different, their toys unlike those in Sea Snooze, and the animals they have seen a far cry from the narwhal and the minke whale, but hopefully they'll have their own foundation for dreams to bring joy and contentment and, of course, sleep.

Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet: Guest review

This review was written by student Hasini K. 

 

Written by Adrienne Mason

Illustrated by Kim Smith

Kids Can Press

978-1-525305375

40 pp.

Ages 8-12

2022 

Many beings other than humans help to keep our beautiful blue planet safe and functioning. Whales are one of them.

From Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet by Adrienne Mason, illus. by Kim Smith

I present to you…Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer The Planet, written by Adrienne Mason and beautifully illustrated by Kim Smith. In a visually-appealing format, this book provides an abundance of information about whales and emphasizes their benefit to the ecosystem by exploring a variety of topics including climate change, threats, food webs, migration and more. (There is a glossary at the end of the book to help with any vocabulary. )

From Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet by Adrienne Mason, illus. by Kim Smith

There are over 50 unique species of whales, and the book goes through the information about how we can identify them. In addition to detailed information about each species, there are bonus facts on different types of animals, some related to whales, and some about other animals, and details about topics like migration and climate change.

From Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet by Adrienne Mason, illus. by Kim Smith

The extremely important topic of global warming is explained, including how it affects both humans and animals and how it relates to whales specifically. Adrienne Mason also explains about carbon emissions and processes like storing carbon thoroughly while using kid-friendly words, making it easier for younger ages to understand. By making the vocabulary not too challenging, the book will entice young readers as well as older ones.

If I was given an assignment to do on whales and only had this book as a reference, I think I'd get a great mark. Whales to the Rescue has lots of information and intriguing facts (some that may shock you) and it is organized in an appealing way, with mini-paragraphs, unique design, and easy-to-understand diagrams. The cover drew me in immediately, but I was expecting the book to be showcasing a decent amount of information; however, I was blown away by how well it balanced the elegant designs in the background with excellent information.

I would recommend this book to curious and avid readers who are looking for information about whales (with extremely gorgeous visuals by Kim Smith) but also to teachers who are searching for content for their classes regarding whales and their importance to the planet. You should definitely read this book if you want to learn about the value of whales and be blessed with incredible artwork.

 

~ Written by Hasini K., Grade 8

 

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Big Blue Forever: The Story of Canada's Largest Blue Whale Skeleton

Written by Anita Miettunen

Red Deer Press

978-0-88995-542-4

64 pp.

Ages 8-12

February 2017

When you have a book with "largest" and "skeleton" in its subtitle, children are sure to gravitate to it.  Moreover, for every young reader who loves non-fiction–and sadly there are many who are repeatedly given the impression that only fiction reading counts–and bones and science and real mystery, Big Blue Forever will impress with the breadth of its story and depth of its details.  There's more to this story than just a blue whale washing up on PEI's shore and being reincarnated in a new form over twenty years later.  Big Blue Forever is a story of people's efforts to ensure Big Blue lived on.

From Big Blue Forever 

by Anita Miettunen 

Photo credit  Kim Woolcock

The blue whale is the world's largest mammal and when one washed up on the northwestern coast of PEI in 1987, it must have been an dramatic sight.  Officials made the wise decision to bury her body in the red clay in the hopes that one day it could be excavated for science or education.  In 2007, Big Blue, as she was affectionately named, was rediscovered by a team from UBC, the home of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, and the slow and stinky process of recovery, cleaning and reconstruction of the skeleton began.  This is the story that Anita Miettunen tells in story and informational text with photographs documenting all steps in the process.  In addition, she expands on key team members involved in Big Blue's recovery to skeletal display and provides background information about blue whales and threats to their safety, including collisions with ships which probably led to Big Blue's own demise.

By following her own curiosity to enquire about Big Blue's life in the wild, the great whale's death and arrival at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Anita Miettunen brings Big Blue full circle, while educating and connecting young readers with a remarkable animal and those who sought to keep her alive, figuratively. It's an amazing read of tireless efforts and mysteries solved (including a missing fin) with a full cast of characters, including Big Blue herself, and a cautionary tale of impacts on blue whales and other creatures of the sea.  Foremost, Anita Miettunen has proven that it is possible to amalgamate the attributes of story-telling with those of informational text to create a book as substantial as Big Blue herself.

From Big Blue Forever 

by Anita Miettunen 

Photo Credit DFO

Eco Warrior

by Philip Roy

Ronsdale Press

978-1-55380-347-8

200 pp.

Ages 10+

March, 2015

If readers were ever trepidatious during Alfred’s world-wide adventures in the first six books in Philip Roy’s Submarine Outlaw series, nothing will match the opening scenes of Eco Warrior. In all Alfred’s zealousness for safety and for anticipating all possible outcomes, he could never foresee being set adrift in the ocean, watching the sub still runnng and pulling away from him.  It’s a shocking beginning but brings Alfred to a new appreciation for all he has.

Not surprising that the sixteen-year-old, already on a quest to become an environmentalist, is overhwlemed by the pessimism of an elderly sailor, Margaret, who believes “You can’t save the oceans now.  Nobody can.  It’s too late.” (pg. 30), though she is still impressed by his hope.  That hope takes him to Australia where he meets a passionate barrister who’d fought, unsuccessfully, to prevent a tanker from heading illegally into the Southern Ocean to refuel Japanese whaling ships that actually claim to be doing research!  That innocent conversation has Alfred suspected of sabotaging that tanker, and an outlaw again.

As he evades authorities in Australia and then Tasmania, Alfred becomes enmeshed in the anti-whaling activities of the Sea Shepherd Society, and accepting risks that he normally would not.  And between being swayed repeatedly by a persuasive environmentalist-inventor named Merwin, stalking and then colliding with a tanker, enjoying the company of a mother blue whale and her baby, and witnessing illegal activities asssociated with whaling, Alfred’s experiences in the Southern Ocean are more than plentiful.

It’s exciting to travel alongside Alfred, Hollie and Seaweed in the sub, and to visit continents and oceans worldwide.  Best is that Philip Roy is able to embed the reader in those adventures and onto the sub so easily.  As he has consistently done in all his Submarine Outlaw books, Philip Roy simply tells a story that includes making the setting more than just the time and place.  It is an integral character in the story, creating plotlines that are more than just the filler of many books.  While books can often take readers to new worlds that they could never imagine, Philip Roy takes those same readers to worldly situations and places they might someday experience but get to enjoy safely from within the pages of his books.  Some of those situations are truly harrowing, like Alfred’s near-death dumping into the ocean or the altercations of environmentalists with the illegal whalers and co-conspirators.  Luckily, young readers can immerse themselves in these same scenarios without tragedy and even face them as Alfred does, with the uncertainty of youth  but the wisdom of a seasoned traveller.  An extraordinary feat for Eco Warrior, a book of a mere 200 pages but a captivatingly deep one just the same.