The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

McFarlane, Sheryl

Waiting for the Whales

32 pp. | Orca | September, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4598-1378-6 $19.95
Reissue (1991)

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ron Lightburn. Reissued for its twenty-fifth anniversary, this book relates with simplicity and grace the powerful love between a grandfather and granddaughter. As the girl grows up, her grandfather teaches her how to plant seeds, recognize trees, and, most of all, watch for the whales that return each summer. After he dies, she watches with fierce intensity. The illustrations, with their strong lines and luminous colors, are stunning.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.