Module 7 - Here Come the Humpbacks

Book Cover Image

Book Summary

Here Come the Humpbacks follows the journey of a mother and her calf as they migrate north for the summer. Readers learn about the perils of the journey as well as the role that the escort whale plays. The book discusses the songs that the whales sing and the food that the whale eats.

Written by April Pulley Sayre

APA Reference of Book

Sayre, A. P. (2013). Here come the humpbacks. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Impressions

The style of the informational book is story-like. The author paints a picture for readers that add dimension to the pictures provided. The pictures are an appealing balance between realism and impressionism reminiscent of Monet. The book is both informative and entertaining. Enough detail is provided to allow the book to be used as a research reference for younger students, but not to much detail as to bore readers. The way that the author used each facing page to both tell a story and give more detail adds more versatility to the book. The format also allows the book to appeal to a wider age range of students. The left-handed pages could be read aloud to students, while the right-hand pages provide more details.

Professional Review

Gr 1-3--This picture book about a year in the life of a humpback mother and calf is beautifully illustrated in soft charcoal pencil and pastel on sanded paper. A varying perspective--from eye level, below, and above the water level--places the whales in context with their environment and other wildlife. The narrative of the growth and development of the newborn male calf flows on the left side of each spread as he thrives in the warm Caribbean Sea. Brief explanations and information on the recto expand upon the story with factual information. The perils of life and migration are objectively presented, including man-made dangers of pollution and marine traffic and dangers from the humpbacks' fierce natural enemy, the orca, and even other humpbacks. All ends well for the mother and son as they make their way through the dangers to their summer feeding grounds off the coast of New England. The stunning art and well-presented information make this an attractive addition to any collection.

Millhouser, F. E. (2013, Feb.). Here come the humpbacks. School Library Journal, 59(2), 96.

Library Uses

This books would be a good research resource on humpback whales for students in grades 2-4. The level of detail provided is enough to create a good base on the migration of the humpbacks. The facing pages also have different reading levels which provides an additional level of versatility to this research tool. The book can also be used as a look at environmental issues that effect the migration of the humpback whales and how some municipalities have made laws to help preserve the whales migration path and make it safer.