The Whales' Song

“Once upon a time,” Lilly’s grandmother says, “the ocean was filled with whales. They were as big as the hills. They were as peaceful as the moon . . . .”

Lilly loves hearing the story of the whales her grandmother loved when she was a little girl. Grandmother tells her about bringing a gift for the whales, and, in return, once or twice the whales sang for her.

Great-uncle Frederick scoffs at Grandmother’s stories, insisting they are nonsense. But Lilly dreams of the whales and in her dreams, the whales are as large as mountains and as blue as the sky. In her dream, the whales sing with voices like the wind. They leap from the water and call Lilly’s name.

In the morning, Lilly goes down to the ocean and walks to the end of show more the old pier. She has a gift for the whales. She drops a yellow flower into the water and calls out, “This is for you.”

And then she waits for the whales.

Is Great-uncle Frederick right, that it’s all nonsense? Or will the whales come, just the way they did for Grandmother? Or will the whales come, just as they did for Grandmother?

Will Lilly ever hear the whales call her name?

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Young readers, ages four through eight, preschool through primary grades, are the target audience for this captivating picture book. With their atmospheric qualities, the illustrations bring Lilly’s story to life.

Enriched by the exquisite paintings of Lilly and her family, of the ocean, of the moonlight, and of the whales, this ethereal homage to the magic of fairy tales come true is borne on a song of a whale. Here the young reader sees the promise of a whispered dream realized. The beauty of the illustrations and Lilly’s poignant story combine to make this a book young readers are sure to ask to hear again and again.

Highly recommended. show less

This is a beautiful book about dreams, nature, hope and believing.

Lilly's grandmother tells her stories of listening to the whales and their songs, and that as a child when she gave something to the whales, later they would dance and sing in the water.

Lilly's grumpy great-Uncle Frederick demands that the tales stop and that the only use for a whale is their meat, blubber and bones.

In her dreams, Lilly hears the whales. One day she places a small yellow flower in the water. That night, slipping out of bed, silently going to the pier, she waits and waits, until magically the whales appear, dancing and singing. As she returns home and wonders if it was merely a dream, she swears she hears the whales call her name.

I used this book for my first read aloud and the kids loved it. Beautiful paintings throughout the book and some good facts about whales are also discussed. Covers past and present events. The book is about a little girl who is staying with her grandmother who is telling her the secrets about getting to see the whales. You have to give them a special gift and if they accept the gift then you will get to see them.

This story follows Lilly as her grandmother tells her fantastic tales of whales. When her grandmother was young, she used to wait on the beach for the whales, bringing them presents like pretty shells and waiting to hear them sing. Lilly's grandfather scolds the two women and chides them to talk about real things, like how whales are killed for meat an oil. Later that day, Lilly herself waits for the whales and is rewarded at night when she gets to hear them sing.

Another beautifully illustrated book that tells about how our protagonist, Lily, believes her grandmother's story of leaving gifts for the whales and, in return, they will sing for her. The illustrations are gorgeous and allow us a glimpse into this magical world.

I was always very into stories that were mysterious and magical as a child. I also loved whales so this was one of my favorites. I love when grandparents are in stories where they tell stories to the young ones in the family about things they use to do.

A young girl and her grandmother share a moment before the girl goes to bed. The grandmother tells the young girl of tales of creatures of the ocean and of the whale. As the little girl falls asleep, she begins to form the images that her grandma shaped in her head from her stories. The girl is on a beach, and soon with the whale, just like her grandma told her about.