Narwhal,
Unicorn Of The Sea
Janet Halfmann; Illustrated
By: Steven James Petruccio
Reviewed by A. E. Jaskiewicz
It’s that time of
the year
again, and the Inuit children are all excited.
It’s late July, time for Narwhal to come back to the bays of Canada’s High Arctic.
This is the time and place where baby Narwhal are born, and by
mid-September,
Narwhal will need to start migrating to his winter home, which he will
reach in
November. Through all this, the
magnificent Unicorn of the Sea, as this species of Whale is known, will
face
many foes, and countless challenges.
But, it’s all just part of everyday life for this fascinating
creature.
The book starts
when the
Narwhal arrives at its summer home in Upper Canada, and the book comes full circle and finishes
in the
same place. Kids can take a journey
through a year in the life of a Narwhal in Janet Halfmann’s beautifully
told
story. While the story is completely
non-fiction, and there aren’t any characters in the traditional sense
in the
book, Narwhal still reads more like a story book. It
is told as a story, rather than just
spouting facts about this strange and interesting creature. Kids are invited on this journey, in which
they learn why the Narwhal is the Unicorn of the Sea, which is because
of its
long tooth which sticks out like a horn above Narwhal’s mouth. Kids will also learn about the habitat and
predators of Narwhal, as well as what they eat, and why they change
habitats.
The artwork helps to turn
this adventure into a full blown story experience for kids. Through the pictures, kids will be able to
see what the lush ocean scenes look like, as well as what Narwhal looks
like. The scenery and the day to day
trials of Narwhal are brought to picturesque life through nearly
life-like
drawings. Older kids will especially be
able to appreciate the pictures in the book.
While the book is great for
potentially older readers, especially as a way to help kids learn, it
really
does seem to be geared towards an older audience, and some really young
kids
may not be able to truly appreciate the book.
That said, most kids who are starting to be able to read should
be able
to appreciate this book.
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea
is a great book for kids. It is
educational, but told in a way that will make kids enjoy learning about
this
unusual creature. Plus, it is a subject
that many kids may not be familiar with, which will really make it a
learning
experience for kids. Add in the
beautiful and realistic pictures, and it makes this book an all around
winner.