Bill Nye the Science Guy writer Lynn Brunelle leads readers through the marine circle of life in a stunning picture book about a whale fall, employing a narrative voice that eases young readers through the extraordinary life a death creates. Brunelle's work, accompanied by the astonishingly realistic watercolor and gouache artwork of Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin (Watercress), is an exquisite ode to the largest documented animal on Earth.
Brunelle expertly sets the scene for her audience, describing the ocean and its thriving life forms. "Glowing shrimp, jellyfish, and other creatures twinkle nearby in the dark.... In the distance, a barreleye fish floats by with two glowing green globe eyes set in a see-through head." While readers could easily imagine this miraculous bioluminescent scene from her words, Chin's brilliant colors on an inky-dark canvas illuminate the reader's path to discovery. Brunelle packs her narrative with fascinating details about the animals, such as sharks, octopuses, lobsters, sea cucumbers, and snails, that benefit from a whale carcass. "Even though together these scavengers can eat 80 pounds of whale blubber and muscle every day, it still takes years to finish off the soft flesh of a whale." Chin fills the pages with illustrations that show the fine details of these creatures who live in the expansive, constantly moving ocean.
Life after Whale offers young readers an incredible glimpse at the wonder of the ocean through the life cycle of one of its most astounding inhabitants. And for those who crave more, additional resources fill the book's back matter. Don't wait, dive right in! --Jen Forbus, freelancer