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Review: The Whale’s Song by Rossana Bossù

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The Whale's Song: Discover the Giants of Our Ocean by Rossana Bossu

The Whale’s Song: Discover the Giants of Our Oceans
Rossana Bossù
Post Wave
Published June 24, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Whale’s Song

Whales have fascinated us for centuries—award-winning artist Rossana Bossù brings these giant, awe-inspiring creatures to life.

Dive into the fascinating world of whales. Did you know that, when underwater, the heart of a blue whale can slow down to as little as two beats per minute? Or that a narwhal’s famous unicorn-like horn is actually a long canine tooth? Readers will also discover how these magnificent creatures play a vital role in keeping our oceans healthy.

From their enormous size to their complex behaviors, learn how these gentle giants live and thrive, and discover why they need our help now more than ever.

INSPIRATION TO TAKE ACTION: Perfect for sparking curiosity and a love for marine life, this book is a call to action to save these magnificent animals before they become legends.

ECO-THEMES: Kids will learn about the importance of animal conservation and environmental protection.

ENCOURAGES SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY: This exploration of whales will encourage an interest ocean creatures, big and small.

EXQUISITELY ILLUSTRATED: Gorgeous artwork introduces children to the incredible variety of these giants of the ocean, from toothed to baleen whales.

My Review

This is such a cool book. Every page has short blocks of text interspersed with fasincating illustrations. One spread, for example, talks about a whalefall (when a whale dies and its carcass sinks to the ocean floor) and the four phases of decomposition that happen and how that nourishes other animals and the environment. A diagram shows an example of each of the four phases. It’s not super specific, so it’s not gross. Think more of a cartoon-y illustration. This is not a science textbook– it’s a book you’d give to a kid who is in a marine mammal phase.

The book has so much information. None of it really goes into deep detail, but the text introduces a lot of interesting topics. For example, one spread shows the different kinds of orcas and details where they live and what they eat, showing how different the varied groups are. Even the endpapers have a purpose: the front endpages show line drawings of the different baleen whales and the back endpapers show the different kinds of toothed whales.

My older daughter did a report for school on whales in middle elementary school, and a book like this would have been absolutely perfect. Give this to the young whale enthusiast or animal lover in your life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief summaries of stories about whales in mythology, folklore, and spiritual beliefs.

Violent Content
Circle of life stuff– what animals eat and hunt. References to whaling industry. Whales dying or becoming beached on shore. Accidental injuries/illnesses to humans because they approached beached whales.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Space Between Lost and Found by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

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The Space Between Lost and Found
Sandy Stark-McGinnis
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published April 28, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Space Between Lost and Found

Cassie’s always looked up to her mom, a vivacious woman with big ideas and a mischievous smile. Together they planned to check off every item on a big-dream bucket list, no matter how far the adventure would take them. But then Mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and everything changed.

Now, Cassie tries to keep Mom happy, and to understand some of Dad’s restrictive new rules. She tries to focus on math lessons and struggles to come up with art ideas that used to just burst off her pen. When Mom’s memories started to fade, so did Cassie’s inspiration. And even worse, she’s accidentally pushed away Bailey, the one friend who could make it all okay.

After the worst Mom day yet, the day she forgets Cassie’s name, Cassie decides to take action. It’s time for one last adventure, even if it means lying and taking a big risk to get there. Sandy Stark-McGinnis, acclaimed author of Extraordinary Birds, explores big questions – the kind that don’t always have answers – in a powerful story about family, friendship, and the memories that will always be part of us.

My Review

This was such an emotional book for me.

My grandmother passed away after a battle with Lewy Body dimentia, which acts a little bit like Alzheimers. It happened so quickly that almost as soon as we realized something was wrong, it felt like we’d lost our connection to her, and her connection to us.

I know that it’s very different losing a grandparent compared to losing a parent, but I had so many of the thoughts and reactions to my grandmother’s illness that Cassie had to her mother’s. I remember that I kept expecting her to wake up and be herself again at any moment sometimes. I remember trying to come up with ways to help her reconstruct memories or watching for any spark of recognition in her face. I’m grateful that she wasn’t in physical pain, I truly am. But I couldn’t wish the crushing emotional pain of watching your loved one lose their memories on even my worst enemies. Even now I find it hard to talk about.

Anyway. All that to say that I found THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND to have deep echoes of my own grief at losing someone to dimentia. I loved Cassie and her grief and her struggle with its impact on her friendships and her creativity felt real and raw but not without hope.

There’s a strong message of community and of the strength of being able to lean on one another rather than becoming isolated. Cassie has a great support system, but it takes her some time to figure out how to connect with them in the midst of her grief.

All in all, I think fans of BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE or BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD will enjoy this book for its emotional honesty and message of hope.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some mildly scary descriptions– at one point Cassie’s mom dangles her feet off the edge of a canyon.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND in exchange for my honest review.