Show Us Where You Live, Humpback; Beryl Young, illustrated by Sakika Kikuchi

Whales are such magnificent animals and this picture book from Beryl Young is a wonderful read that will spark awe and wonder about these most beautiful of ocean dwellers.

In the warm waters of a southern bay, a young whale calf stays close to her mother. On the cliffs overlooking the ocean, a young girl and her mother pay close attention to the whales. Both calf and child are just starting their own journey’s in life and despite their noticeable differences they have much in common. And so begins a poetic story that explores how the whale calf and the girl are indeed very much connected…

This is a touching picture book that celebrates the special relationship between a mother and her offspring. Surprisingly, whales and humans have much in common and through the eyes of a little girl readers get to learn how the whale calf and the girl are very much alike.

The story is narrated by the child and she speaks directly to the whales using dreamy language that bursts with her admiration and awe for the creatures. A repetitive pattern follows throughout with the child observing the actions of the whales and then shining a light on her own similar experiences. Both the whale calf and the girl grow, they play, they blow bubbles, they splash, they sing, they sleep and they stay close to their mother’s. Whilst dreamy language is used to express the actions of the whale, the girl uses a much simpler choice of words to describe her own actions. ​

The illustrations by Sakika Kikuchi follow the same pattern as the text. Those featuring the whales are glorious and capture the beauty and size of these wonderful animals in their natural ocean environment as they swim and splash their way through shades of blue and green. Simple and playful illustrations show the girl having various experiences on white backgrounds.

There is so much to learn about these marvellous animals within the text itself and some lovely bonus content is provided at the back of the book that is full of wonderful whale facts. Did you know that they are warm-blooded? That they weigh as much as five elephants? And that they make epic migration journeys of as far as five thousand miles?

A lovely story which makes for a very soothing and relaxing read, the dreamy ending is sure to gently easy young children to sleep.

Recommended for 3+.

With thanks to Greystone Kids for this delightful picture book.