The Boy and the Whale

Written & illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

A boy must choose between saving a whale or his family's livelihood.

4.5/7 Bookroo expert·3.9/5 Goodreads · 482 ratings

40 pages· 631 words· Est. 5 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

A boy and his father find a whale trapped in their only fishing net. The father fears losing their livelihood, but the boy recalls his own near-drowning and feels compelled to help the creature. When the whale blinks, the boy knows he must act, risking everything to save it. Will he succeed, or will the cost be too great? This tale of courage and compassion explores the bond between humans and nature, inspired by a real-life whale rescue.

From the publisher

A boy and his father discover a whale tangled in their only fishing net. Is the whale dead? While the man worries about losing their net, the boy worries about the whale. He remembers the fear he felt when, caught in a net himself in childhood, he almost drowned before being rescued by his father. When the whale blinks an enormous eye, the boy knows that he has to try to save the creature, no matter how dangerous doing so may be.

Expressive and perfectly paced, this powerful story, The Boy and the Whale, by Caldecott Medal–winner Mordicai Gerstein was inspired in part by a real-life video of a whale’s rescue, and the creature’s joyful dance through the waves after being freed.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Words: 631
Reading age: 4–7
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD510L

Themes & topics

Books about empathy Books about nature Books about whales Books about bravery Books about science and nature

What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.5

out of 7

4.5

“This is a powerful story about a little boy's determiniation to save a majestic whale caught in his and his father's fishing net (despite his father's warning that to try would be foolish and dangerous). While I don't love the blatent disobedience the little boy shows his father's wishes, the empathy the boy feels for the whale as well as respect for it as a living creature is moving and you can feel the struggle for life throughout the book.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

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