Title: Charlie’s Whale
Author: Libby Gleeson
Illustrator: Hannah Sommerville
Published: December 2022
Publisher: Lothian
Readership: Children (Picturebook)
Rating: ★★★★.5
RRP: $24.99
I received a copy of Charlie’s Whale from the publisher for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Charlie loves whales. Minke whales, orcas, beluga whales and humpbacks, sperm whales and right whales, and especially the great blue whale. Little readers will delight in Charlie’s obsession with, and the illustrations of, these majestic giants of the sea from one of Australia’s most loved and awarded writers for children.
Charlie loves the sea.
He loves the seashells and the seahorses, the sharks and the stingrays, the crabs and the crayfish.
He loves the gentle waves that creep up onto the sand and tickle his toes.
He loves the huge wild waves that crash onto the sand and make the beach tremble.
But most of all he loves the whales.
I had a wonderful time reading Charlie’s Whale by Libby Gleeson – it’s been a while since I read a book by Gleeson and I really enjoyed this experience. Charlie is a young boy who is obsessed with whales. He spends all his time reading and learning about whales and dreaming of the day when he gets to see one in person for himself. Everyone around him tries to temper his expectations, but his determination and passion are infectious and he just knows that one day it will happen.
The language in this is beautiful – wonderfully phrased sentences with a variety of sentence structures. The illustrations are gorgeous with hidden details to look for that will engage younger readers.
This is a book that will appeal to anyone with a passion – especially a passion for whales or ocean animals – and provides lots of material for discussion before, during and after reading.
It was just a delight to read.
Noveltea Corner 