Jonathan London is the author of more than 70 books for children.
He lives in Northern California.
Jon Van Zyle has illustrated many books for children. His art has
garnered him numerous honors. He lives in Alaska.
K-Gr 3-A mother sperm whale mates, gives birth, and raises her baby as part of the pod. London introduces the animals' living and eating habits and sources of danger to both mother and offspring. In contrast to the brief, clipped informational texts of The Eyes of Gray Wolf (1993) and Honey Paw and Lightfoot (1995, both Chronicle), this book is written in a descriptive, almost poetic style that is less accessible to younger readers than earlier titles in the series. ("Sixteen moons pass,/and the one/who stayed behind-/becomes two./The new life/slips smoothly/from the warmth/of its mother's body/into the coolness/of the ocean.") More detailed information in a two-page afterword explains how the species became endangered and what is being done to ensure its survival, especially in the U.S. A two-page "Reader's Guide" offers topics for discussion and suggestions of related activities along with some facts about sperm whales. Van Zyle's realistic, double-page acrylic paintings clearly show the skin texture and size of the huge mammals and the vastness and depth of their ocean habitat. However, several pictures fail to illustrate the action of the text (e.g., the pod safeguarding the baby from a pod of orcas or the whales feasting on a giant squid). Although this title is somewhat less successful than others in the series, it still serves as a useful introduction to sperm whales.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
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