Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet

Kids Can Press has some AMAZING non-fiction books in their catalogue and you can count Whales to the Rescue: How Whales Help Engineer the Planet by Adrienne Mason and Kim Smith to the list.

Whales to the Rescue is a comprehensive traditional non-fiction text centred on a unique topic, whales as engineers. Although there are many books available to readers all about whales, this one focuses on how they are one of the keys to fighting climate change.

Adrienne Mason brings readers into the text right from the first page, painting a beautiful picture of these majestic ocean dwellers. The first couple of pages are dedicated to a little bit of background about cetaceans, the types we find in the oceans and how they eat. The rest of the book is where things get really interesting! Adrienne Mason focuses on the food webs, migration paths and life cycles that all contribute to helping fight climate change.

Have you ever thought about whale poop? I certainly haven’t but Adrienne Mason sure has and shares with readers how whale waste is all a vital part of the food chain in the ocean. She also delves into carbon and how whales store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere and helping the bottom dwelling creatures thrive once these gentle giants die.

From a design standpoint, I really loved the sidebars. There are alot of great flow charts and diagrams for readers to hone in on to gain even more understanding. The back matter has your typical glossary as well as resources to learn more and help protect the whales and dolphins in the oceans.

Kim Smith’s illustrations are gorgeous. All of the rich hues of blue invite readers into deep sea to marvel at the incredible ways whales help the planet. It’s a book worth returning to not just for the information but for the beautiful art as well.