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Reviewer: Dr Sam Lloyd
Title: The Voyage of Whale and Calf
Author/Illustrator: Vanessa Pirotta/Samantha Metcalfe
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing (2022)
The Voyage of Whale and Calf is a beautiful story of a humpback whale and her newborn calf as they migrate the ocean, facing dangers, bonding and exploring. The story begins as Whale births her male calf under the moonlight. We then follow Whale and Calf as they migrate the waters to Antarctica. We learn about how Calf is protected, nurtured and taught by his mother as they migrate. The dangers they face are a key feature of the story, including a reminder of the importance of careful disposal of items such as balloons, which are a risk to marine life. We learn about how they feed, sleep and eventually how Calf becomes independent enough to leave his mother.
Natural history artist, Samantha Metcalfe, delicately illustrates this story, capturing the special bond between Whale and her Calf. Working primarily with colour pencil, Samantha shares with us the perils of the journey and beauty of the ocean environment. The detail, colour and softness of the approach really capture vastness of the ocean and the feeling that you are travelling along with Whale and Calf on their migration.
At the end of the story is a page of “Humpback Whale Facts” and a glossary. Allowing readers to learn more and better understand the migration journey. Throughout the story CSIRO Publishing bold words that are included in the glossary, like “echelon swimming”, making it easier for the reader to understand more complex terms. The book is recommended for ages 6 to 9, but I think the story goes beyond these years and can especially be shared with younger children. The concepts of Calf being birthed, and the dangers of the migration journey will not be lost of small children. They will be impressed by descriptions that better help them understand the characters and environment, like “Calf is the size of a small car. Whale is the size of a bus”.
This story is a timely reminder that the bond between a parent and their offspring moves far beyond human society. There are many stories of the significant interactions between people and marine life, like whales and dolphins. But this story illustrates the value of humpback whales in their own right, not in relation to people.
Further reading:
For more information (appropriate for children) on humpback whales and the ocean, see the following links:
- Popular and award-winning children’s science podcast, Brains On – “How do whales communicate”: https://www.brainson.org/episode/2016/11/08/how-do-whales-communicate; and “Underwater volcanoes and lots of salt: A deep dive into the ocean”:
- The Conversation of course have many articles on whales, including: “Humpback whales have been spotted ‘bubble-netfeeding’ for the first time in Australia (and we have it on camera)”: https://theconversation.com/humpback-whales-have-been-spotted-bubble-net-feeding-for-the-first-time-in-australia-and-we-have-it-on-camera-157355; and “Humpback whales may have bounced back from near-extinction, but it’s too soon to declare them safe”: https://theconversation.com/humpback-whales-may-have-bounced-back-from-near-extinction-but-its-too-soon-to-declare-them-safe-157232
- The Australian Antarctic Program also has many resources on their website: https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/animals/whales/humpback-whale/