Blog Tour and Giveaway: A Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry

Pages: 336

Genre: Children's/Middle Grade Fiction

Pub. Date: September 1, 2020

Publisher: Greenwillow

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "In the stand-alone companion to the New York Times–bestselling A Wolf Called Wander, a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats.  For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be?  A Whale of the Wild weaves a heart-stopping tale of survival with impeccable research on a delicate ecosystem and threats to marine life."

Vega is an orca and lives with her family in the beautiful, and sometimes dangerous, Salish Sea.  Vega hopes to become a wayfinder, or salmon hunter, for her family and she is encouraged to find the gathering place that her family needs to locate in order to hunt for salmon. Things don't go smoothly for Vega and this leaves her questioning many things.  To top it off, her mother is pregnant and Vega hopes that this will be the little sister she has always dreamed of--a friend, a companion, and so much more.  Again, things don't go well for Vega's mother and the baby whale, so this leaves Vega even more distressed than before as she leaves her pod behind.  Deneb, her younger brother, finds her just before more tragedy strikes and now they find they are both separated from their pod and out in the open ocean.  Vega knows that now more than ever, it's up to her to lead not only her brother safely home, but get herself home too as her family is counting on her in A Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry.

Even though Vega is an orca whale, I think many kids can relate to her struggles in A Whale of the Wild. Vega must find out where she fits in, she must have confidence, she must deal with life's disappointments, and ultimately, the sadness of grief. These are all aspects of Vega that I found myself relating to as well.  Parry does a great job making Vega relatable despite the fact that she is an orca whale.  When Vega loses her little sister during birth, it just about broke my heart.  I kept remembering the news report about the orca whale who lost her calf at birth and carried her around for quite some time.  If that doesn't tug on your heart strings, I don't know what will.

What I especially appreciated about A Whale of the Wild was the environmental themes throughout. Teaching children to respect animals, to not pollute the ocean, and take care of our environment is crucial. I think younger children can appreciate these important lessons especially after reading stories like this. Children learn so much about the marine ecosystem when they read A Whale of the Wild; plus, it may inspire young children to help the orcas, learn about global warming, and what we can do to preserve the enviornemnt for future generations. 

A Whale of the Wild includes some beautiful illustrations that I know children will appreciate.  As an educator and an ocean life fanatic, I also appreciated the maps, wildlife facts, and resources for children to learn even more.  I think this book would be a great addition to an ocean/sea life unit for upper elementary to lower middle grade students.  Fans of animal stories, as well as ocean life, will love going on this adventure with Vega and her family.

Are you a fan of animal fiction? I love any and all stories that deal with the ocean and its creatures. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  You can purchase your own copy of A Whale of the Wild at Amazon, Audible, or at Bookshop.org.  Also, you can also visit HarperCollins Children's Books on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  

The Giveaway:

I am very excited to share with you guys today a giveaway for A Whale of the Wild. I have partnered with The Children's Book Review and HarperCollins Children's Books to host a giveaway for a copy of your own and there will be five winners!  The giveaway begins September 1, 2020 at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends September 15, 2020 at 11:59 P.M. MT.  Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway