Journey of the Humpbacks

Gr 2-4–Every year, one of the largest creatures on Earth, the humpback whale, makes a long journey from its feeding ground to reproduce; this middle-elementary book allows children to come along for the ride, learning interesting facts along the way. A translation of an award-winning Colombian picture book, this work is exactly what the title implies; readers follow along a specific trail used by humpbacks from Antarctica to the Pacific coast of Colombia. The illustrations have a dappled watercolor effect as if they were painted on canvas. The childlike shapes and muted colors of the images add a whimsical touch to the very informative text. The book’s throughline, showing the humpbacks’ physical journey throughout the ocean, corresponds to an explanation of the humpback’s life cycle, including a diagram with information on reproduction and how, once a whale dies, its body continues to play an integral role in the ecosystem. Explanations of the various parts of a humpback’s body, what they eat, and how they breathe are accessibly presented to the intended audience. The text is in a readable font, with the amount of text per page varying widely. Some scientific terms may be difficult for some but that makes for a great vocabulary lesson opportunity.