Penny's Reviews and Chat

Little Gray’s Great Migration

by Marta Lindsey

Illustrated by Andrea Gabriel

Marta Lindsey’s new picture book, “Little Gray’s Great Migration,” illustrated by Andrea Gabriel, is a sweet look into a young gray whale calf’s first migration. Together, Little Gray and his mother travel from their South American lagoon up the west coast of South, Central, and North America. They're on their way to the icy waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas. There’s tension, exhaustion, and some excitement and worry along the way. Little Gray and his mother struggle to survive the long journey. He helps find the passage to their summer feeding grounds.

The artwork by Ms. Gabriel shows the playful personality of Little Gray as he cavorts on top of the water—showing off for the people out boating.  Her illustrations also shows life under the sea for Little Gray and his mother as they face a long, exhausting journey to the Arctic feeding grounds. At the end of the book, there's more artwork to illustrate these educational activities:  Whale Surfacing, Gray Whale Fun Facts, Migration Route, and Whale Food.

This book is a good way for kids to learn  about gray whales, their migration, diet, and behavior in story form, helped along with the educational information at the back of the book. Recommended for ages 5 to 8. Younger kids can follow the story through the pictures, but there’s a lot of text that might have to be shortened for their attention span.

“Little Gray’s Great Migration” is published by www.arbordalepublishing.com

Information on author Marta Lindsey is at www.martalindsey.com

Information on artist Andrea Gabriel is at www.bigbearillustration.com

Tags:
Little Gray, gray whale migration route, gray whale feeding grounds, Marta Lindsey, Andrea Gabriel, gray whale behavior