Storm whale by Sarah Brennan
Ill. by Jane Tanner. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293642
(Age: Primary middle years) Hardcover, 32 pages. Themes: Whales-
fiction, Conservation, Siblings.
Bleak was the day and the wind whipped down when my sisters and I
walked to town . . .
Sarah Brennan's narrative verse is a powerful, driven story of three
sisters who try to rescue a whale stranded on a windswept beach. Her
beautifully evocative phrases filled with alliteration and colourful
descriptions are crisp and clipped. They need to be read aloud. She
builds the tension driving the story forward as the three sisters
battle the elements to save the stranded whale - scarred old
mariner, beached in hell, far from the cradling ocean swell.
Brennan's memories of Tasmania summer holidays on wet and windy
beaches provided the inspiration for Storm Whale.
The story celebrates the close bond of sisterhood as each draws
strength from the other, to frantically keep the whale bathed in
seawater. They show resilience and dogged determination fighting an
epic struggle in the stormy conditions. Without any adult
intervention, they finally return home, nearly defeated, unsure
about the large mammal's fate. They find comfort in each other,
wrapped in warm blankets by the glowing fire and wait for the
morning unsure of the outcome. Their freedom to explore the
storm-ravaged beach on their own and search for the whale, without a
parent, might be confronting to some readers.
Jane Tanner's powerful illustrations, changing from pencil sketches
to sweeping painted scenes powerfully enhance Brennan's emotional
tale. From hope to near despondence, her textured paintings bring to
life the sisters' elemental fight against the driving rain. She
creates the moodiness, the contrast of darkness and light, of cold
and warmth perfectly depicting Brennan's story.
Storm Whale is an ideal picture book for older readers who
enjoy rhyming narratives. The rich, emotive language and wonderful
illustrations are suitable for Middle Years classes studying styles
of poetry, identifying how language choices and imagery build
emotional connection and engagement with this story.
Rhyllis Bignell