Jenni Desmond

This is a very unusual nonfiction book and an amazing one. Desmond's first book, Red Cat, Blue Cat was a delight and she doesn't disappoint in her second title.

The story begins with the deep blue endpapers, showing the faint outlines of whales drifting across them and a small, strange green submarine perhaps? The opening pages are stark white, with an author's note about the history of blue whale endangered status. The title page shows a small child reading the book and we turn the page and show more the story begins....a child is lying on their bed reading a book about whales. As he reads, he is transported into the book. When the book talks about how much the whales weigh, the little boy skips up a giant pile of hippos, demonstrating just how heavy the whale gets. The spread talking about the whale's eye shows a giant, dark blue background and, slowly coming into focus, the deep black of the eye at the center. Another spread shows a colorful swarm of krill, the whale's food. The little boy hefts gallons of milk as the book explains how much milk a whale calf drinks. The story ends as the little boy drifts into sleep over his book and into the deep blue sea as he dreams of whales.

The art and text are smoothly integrated into one lyrical whole with the collage and watercolor illustrations making the simple facts of the text memorable for the reader. It's dreamy and simple, but powerful.

Verdict: You absolutely have to get this for all your whale fans. It would make a great book for parents and librarians who are a little nervous about introducing nonfiction to storytime and also to spark children's imagination. Teachers will find it an inspiration for helping kids understand large numbers and creating similar projects on favorite animals. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781592701650; Published 2015 by Enchanted Lion; Borrowed from the library show less

Using entertaining and informative comparisons - the blue whale's heart is the size of a small car, it weighs as much as fifty-five hippopotami, and can fit up to fifty people in its massive mouth - author/artist Jenni Desmond spins an engrossing and educational 'story' in The Blue Whale. Much like Jason Chin, an American author/artist who often uses fictional framing devices in his picture-books, in order to introduce non-fictional information, this talented British picture-book creator show more begins her book with a young boy reading about blue whales, and presents her subsequent facts in a kid-friendly way. The result is a title that is every bit as fun as it is educational.

As a huge admirer of Jason Chin, mentioned above - my favorites of his are his debut, Redwoods, and his most recent, Grand Canyon - the fact that Desmond's book reminded me so strongly of his work is a huge point in its favor. I really enjoy picture-books that find a way to make non-fiction interesting and entertaining for young readers and listeners, and Desmond definitely does that here. The artwork in The Blue Whale is just as appealing as the text, with adept use of colorful and quirky figures and objects combined in amusing ways. The pile of hippos, on the page where the text is discussing the blue whale's weight, was particularly droll. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging works of natural history and non-fiction for the picture-book set. For my part, I now intend to track down Desmond's The Polar Bear! show less

Using the framing device of a child reading about the subject in a book, British author/illustrator Jenni Desmond explores the world of elephants—both African and Asian—in this gorgeous picture book. Basic information about these two species—where they can be found, their appearance, how large they are, how the various parts of their anatomy are constructed—is presented in an engaging way and paired with beautiful artwork. Elephantine social structure, mating practices and show more child-rearing, as well as eating and bathing habits are also covered, as is this animal's amazing memory, and ritualistic reaction to death. As the author observes, this is a keystone species, one which shapes the ecosystem in a way which affects all...

Having greatly enjoyed Desmond's The Blue Whale, which was published in 2015, and which used the same storytelling structure—I have not read her 2016 The Polar Bear yet, although I understand it does the same thing—I picked up The Elephant with great anticipation. I was not disappointed, finding it educational and engaging. The illustrations, created using watercolor, acrylic, pencil, crayons, and drypoint, were just gorgeous. The two-page spread of the elephant looking out head-on was particularly striking, and is one I pored over. As I mentioned in the book about blue whales, I really appreciate narrative non-fiction picture books which manage to present information in a way that is engaging for young children, and Desmond really does that here! Recommended to young elephant lovers, and to anyone seeking beautiful and engaging picture books about them. show less

I wanted to like this book more. I loved the mixed media, particularly the pencil-drawn, emotive faces. But distracting were 1. the book's similarities to Oliver Jeffers' in font choice and general style, and 2. in my copy the mother's skin tone seemed to change through the book. I look for diversity in children's books, so I noted diversity within the family on the first page and thought "great!", but then mom changed throughout the story. Bad print run? It was distracting. The story itself show more felt almost complete, but not quite. It was a great idea that was muddled by ink? By design? By time constraints?? show less