The Stranded Whale by Jane Yolen and Melanie Cataldo (Illustrator)

Synopsis: Tender and heartrending, Jane Yolen’s clear-eyed tale of a child’s effort to rescue a beached whale evokes a fierce love of wildlife and a universal sense of loss.

Sally and her brothers are walking home from school along the dunes in their Maine town when they come upon an enormous whale. He’s stranded on the beach. Her brother runs for help, and many people rally to respond, but the tide is going out quickly and the whale is just so big. Still, Sally is able to sit near the whale’s massive eye and tell him he’s beautiful and strong, and that she will miss him no matter what happens. Master storyteller Jane Yolen and illustrator Melanie Cataldo have created an authentic portrait of vulnerability that is at once spare, moving, and honest.

Published: July 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0763669539 | Ages: 5-9 years

Author’s Homepage: http://janeyolen.com
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneYolen

Illustrator’s Homepage: http://www.melcataldo.com
Illustrator’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/melmelcataldo

Publishers Weekly Book Review
Kirkus Reviews Book Review
Waking Brain Cells Book Review
Maine State Library Book Review

[Image Credit: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/50/f0/1d/50f01dd08feddd8a6c7bee1eef85034e.jpg ]