The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro. PICTURE BOOK. Philomel Books (Penguin Random House), 2018. $18. 9781984836274
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A whale with a beautiful song brightens everyone’s day who hears him as he swims along. Unfortunately whales’ song doesn’t make him happy and he feels alone until another whale hears his song and follows it. When they find each other they also find happiness.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous watercolors with shades of blue and green with pops of bright colors, but I really struggle with the message that someone else can make you happy. If whale isn’t happy on his own, he isn’t going to be magically happy because of one special whale. It seems a shame that his lovely song didn’t represent a happiness he had found himself.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
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