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Staff Pick
A Whale of the Wild is a beautiful story told deftly from the perspective of a young orca whale separated, along with her brother, from their pod. Their journey home is a harrowing tale Parry created using extensive research into the lives of whales and the details of their fading ecosystem. With its exploration of climate change and the fight for survival, Vega's story, and her point of view, are so important for us to share right now. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
In the stand-alone companion to the New York Times-bestselling A Wolf Called Wander, a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats.
For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family's matriarch. But then she and her brother Daneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she's destined to be?
A Whale of the Wild weaves a heart-stopping tale of survival with impeccable research on a delicate ecosystem and threats to marine life. New York Times-bestselling author Rosanne Parry's fluid writing and Lindsay Moore's stunning artwork bring the Salish Sea and its inhabitants to vivid life. An excellent read-aloud and read-alone, this companion to A Wolf Called Wander will captivate fans of The One and Only Ivan and Pax.
Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout, a map, and extensive backmatter about orcas and their habitats.
Review
"Parry creates a spellbinding, heart-stopping adventure for middle-grade readers....Parry's thorough research, observation, and creative writing combine to share the marvelous matriarchal familial world of orcas." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure....A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Rosanne Parry is the author of the novels Heart of a Shepherd and Last of the Name, among other acclaimed titles. She lives with her family in an old farmhouse in Portland, Oregon, and writes in a tree house in her backyard. www.rosanneparry.com
Lindsay Moore is an artist and writer with roots in Northern Michigan. She studied marine biology and fine art at Southampton College on Long Island and figure drawing at the Art Students League of New York, and earned her master of science in medical and scientific illustration from Medical College of Georgia, now Augusta University. Lindsay Moore lives with her family in Bowling Green, Ohio.