If You Want to See a Whale

A charming - and calming - book for children. But, as all the best children's books are, there is an adult level as well. For me this was a book on meditation, stillness and perseverance, which bring their own rewards, whether or not one ever sees the "whale". You never know... Once read, never forgotten.

The theme of this charming book is patience, yet that child-unfriendly word is never used nor is moralism employed. Instead, Fogliano shows, not tells; the essence of impeccable storytelling. With the repeated phrase “if you want to see a whale” and the amiable pictures, author and illustrator work seamlessly to offer advice for whale-watchers.

The advice is not quite what you’d expect, another storytelling technique which surprises and delights readers. Do not watch pelicans if you want to see whales “because pelicans who sit and stare can never be a whale.” Stead’s talent allows her to draw facial expressions and body positions that help move the story forward. The dog balancing precariously on the piling illustrates the show more advice about the pelicans. The addition of a wee sandpiper to the pictures creates a character for readers to search for on each page.

Fogliano’s spare punctuation (no capitals, periods, or commas) crafts verse-like lines that are child-friendly and easy to read. The verse format is also gently humorous: “if you want to see a whale/you shouldn’t watch the clouds/ … / because if you start to look straight up/you might just miss a whale.”

Don’t miss the back dust cover illustration. It is an essential part of this entrancing tale. show less

By the same authors as [b:And Then It's Spring|11891485|And Then It's Spring|Julie Fogliano|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317794308s/11891485.jpg|16850550], another beautiful book about the virtue of patience. The poetic text alerts you to all the things that may come to distract you and obliterate your chances of sighting a whale, and it's light, humorous and grave, all at the same time, just like a child's reflection. But, best of all, makes it sound so simple and within reach: If you want to see a whale/ you will need a window/ and an ocean/ and time for waiting.

And luckily, all the things to avoid, seem so worthwhile in themselves, it appears like a win-win situation.
If you want to see a whale/ there's no time to watch the pelican/ show more who may or may not be smiling/ while sitting, staring, looking out/ because pelicans who sit and stare can never be a whale.
If you want to see a whale/ be careful not to notice/ something inching, small and green/ across the leaf, just nibble scoot/because things that are smaller than most small things/ can't be as giant as a whale.
If you want to see a whale/ you shouldn't watch the clouds/ some floating by, some hanging down/ in the sky that's spread out, side to side/ or the certain sun that's shining/ because if you start to look straight up/ you might just miss a whale.

Just like the text, the pencil illustrations are simple and beautiful. And the mood captured by them is this time-standing-still feeling, just like in the other books illustrated so far by
[a:Erin E. Stead|4581894|Erin E. Stead|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66-2a9d702c2a0f483c9f7dd119cc28a9a7.jpg], [b:A Sick Day for Amos McGee|7268995|A Sick Day for Amos McGee|Philip C. Stead|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312019421s/7268995.jpg|8391024] and [b:Bear Has a Story to Tell|13170028|Bear Has a Story to Tell|Philip C. Stead|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362667189s/13170028.jpg|18349343]. Highly recommended if you want something understated but touching, to enjoy quietly with your child.
(And yes, I've seen a whale!) show less

f you want to see a whale, you will need to know what not to look at. Pink roses, pelicans, possible pirates . . . If you want to see a whale, you have to keep your eyes on the sea, and wait . . . and wait . . . and wait . . . In this quiet and beautiful picture book by Julie Fogliano and Erin E. Stead, the team that created the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor book And Then It's Spring, a boy learns exactly what it takes to catch a glimpse of an elusive whale. This title has Common Core connections.

A child and his pet dog want to see a whale and explain all the things one needs to do (or not do) in order to see a whale. For instance, "if you want to see a whale / you shouldn't watch the clouds / some floating by, some hanging down / in the sky that's spread out, side to side / or the certain sun that's shining / because if you start to look straight up / you might just a miss whale".

With it's lack of traditional punctuation and narrative structure, this book reads much more like lyrical poetry than prose. Stead's full-color illustrations manage to be gentle yet striking at the same time, which seems to be her style.

I didn't find the book all that gripping personally, although the child I was reading it to (age 5, avid reader) did show more seem to be rather engrossed. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, although it certainly is a lovely product. show less

Nothing wrong with a quiet book. And I suppose this is perfect in that, to get through it, a child must be patient, and to see a whale, a child must be patient. But I don't know a whole lot of kids who would be able to do so. I think maybe this is aimed more at moms. And it's definitely poetry:

if you want to see a whale
you'll just have to ignore the roses
and all their pink
and all their sweet
and all their wild and their waving
because roses don't want you watching whales
or waiting for
or wondering about
things that are not pink
and things that are not sweet
and things that are not roses

Maybe it's especially for moms (doubtfully dads) who have read The Little Prince and remember the self-centered rose. Maybe even moms who have read Gertrude show more Stein, with a rose is a rose is a rose" and even the cadence & vibe of "pigeons on the grass alas." But mostly for moms who want to sit and breathe with their child, who want to honor patience, observation, quiet. I do wish them luck." show less

Another sweet picture book from this team. Not quite as wonderful to me as "and then it's spring," but there's still some lovely language and the illustrations are just charming. Probably geared toward a slightly older reader than Fogliano's first book as well.