Joe is asleep when something shakes the whole house and causes him to fall out of bed. It is morning yet it is still dark outside, something is definitely wrong. Calling Grandma May Joe tries to open the door, but it won’t move. When they see an eye through the window of the attic Grandmas decides that they must go up the chimney and out to investigate what is going on ... what they see when they get there is an amazing sight!

A whale has destroyed the town and the people have been left homeless. The whale is truly sorry but that won’t help for he is stuck, believing the only thing that can be done is for the townspeople to turn him into fishmeat. The fishmonger agrees, but Joe wants to try and save the whale. He doesn’t know how so asks the wise old owl who in turn asks the wind, the wind asks the sun, the sun the moon and the moon the stars. It seems the only way to help is to sing a rain song, this proves to be a success creating enough of a flood to draw the whale back into the ocean. The problem now is that the people still have no homes for their town has been destroyed. Whale finds a way to restore their town and repay their kindness.

This is a heart-warming story of understanding. It is at once quirky and yet serious with an important message all about working together and finding logical solutions to problems no matter how insurmountable they may seem. Joe is a sensible young boy and his clear thinking means that the townsfolk and the whale are all saved. David Lucas has combined a serious message with an easy to read story and some wonderfully quirky illustrations. The pictures are bright and fill the pages of the book with colour and expression. The huge whale dominates all the pictures with the townspeople tiny in comparison, their expressions remain clear and the style of drawing is entirely individual. There is lots of detail in each picture and plenty to engage young readers.

The combination of excellent illustration, a great story and strong message combine to create an engaging story for young readers.

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2008-08-05