Breathe

February 3, 2014
Magoon (The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot!) rejoices in the life of a young beluga whale, focusing on images of serenity and encouragement over educational aims or warnings of environmental danger. By alternating underwater scenes with commands to breathe, Magoon provides an immediate sense of how the pace and scale of a whale’s life differs from that of a human. “Breathe, little whale!” he begins, as the smiling beluga, seen next to its mother, lets out a puff of watery spray. Magoon’s digital illustrations add piquant touches of special-effects magic: trails of sparkly bubbles follow the diving whales in the icy-blue water, the depths of a vertical spread glow with a bioluminescent green, tendrils of sound curl out from the small whale to fill the ocean (“Listen to the sea. Sing”). Arctic animals and fish dot the landscape, and mother is always nearby: “Most of all, love... be loved.” It’s a pleasure simply to enjoy the beluga’s existence, though readers should readily recognize that Magoon’s directives to “make new friends” and “find another way up” apply to them, too. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

Starred review from March 1, 2014
A very young white whale swims into the wider world of the arctic seas, celebrating first adventures of the very young. Magoon's digital art captures the colors and crisp, airy light of the Arctic setting; cartoon lines and wide eyes present creatures above and under the ice as friendly, rounded and smiling. Even the polar bear--seen against the sky through an ice hole as a dark shadow, possibly threatening--is fairly benign. The little whale (clearly a baby beluga but not named as such) is doing the work that toddlers do--exploring the world with mama nearby. The few words of the text speak both to whale baby and, by extension, to the listener: "Play all day // and swim, / and swim, / and swim. // Breathe." This last ("Breathe") appears on a double-page spread in which the young whale is surrounded by the vast sea, snowy mountains, and a pale, bright sun. Then a dive changes the palette from the pale blues and whites of the surface through greeny yellows and finally to dark: Here, what was perhaps an arctic whaler, stilled and slightly ghostly, sits on the seafloor. The simple adventure concludes with an anthropomorphic yet welcome invitation: "Most of all, love / and be loved." Richly composed and sweetly appealing--just right for baby storytimes as well as one-to-one sharing. (Picture book. 6 mos.-3)

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March 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-With the encouragement of its mother, a young whale spends the day exploring, making new friends, finding shipwrecks, and swimming past glaciers, while intermittently pausing to "breathe" during its busy day. When the whale encounters a polar bear and becomes frightened, its mother soon reappears and assures its safety. This comforting tale not only gives youngsters the opportunity to explore the ocean alongside a whale but also subtly reminds them of the importance of slowing down to take a break every once in a while. Magoon's illustrations, which were rendered digitally, are vibrant and expansive, each filling a spread with vivid shades of blue. The minimal text is laid out in clear, big font, supporting the impressive illustrations without ever overshadowing them. With its succinct text and sprawling pictures, this story is perfectly suitable as a read-aloud. Pair it with Stephanie St. Pierre's What the Sea Saw (Peachtree, 2006) for a gentle, ocean-themed storytime.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Preschool-K A brand new baby white whale swims off for the first time to investigate his ocean world. The playful calf frolics with puffins, jellyfish, crabs, and googly-eyed fish; sings to narwhals and squid; explores a pirate ship; and smiles at polar bears peeking through holes in the arctic ice. When he emerges out of arctic waters, his spout sprays in mists. As he dives deep, his glowing gurgles and frothy foam are sharply delineated against indigo waters. Every few pages the word breathe repeats, reminding readers that whales need to come to the surface for air. When the baby sleeps contentedly on the back of his loving mother, he dreams under the stars and the moon in a black sky lit by blue-green northern lights. Endpapers sport duplicate pods of white whales swimming on an aqua background. Every double-page spread is filled with delights. Severalwords per page ( play all day or make friends ), simple shapes, and bright digitalized colors tell this story about the joys of exploring our world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
A baby white whale explores the ocean, diving, singing, and making new friends. Spare text suggests a contemplative pace with breaks for the whale (and the reader) to come up for air. The digital illustrations of rounded sea creatures in a palette of blues and whites create an ice-cold yet inviting atmosphere, and spreads have just enough detail for toddlers to explore.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)