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Waiting for the Whales
In this timeless story set on the West Coast, an old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea and tends his garden. And waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. One day, his daughter and her baby return home to live with the old man, bringing a renewed sense of purpose to his life. As his granddaughter grows, the old man passes on a wealth or knowledge and wisdom as well as his passion for the whales. And each year they wait together for the whales to appear. A gentle story that illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child, Waiting for the Whales also suggests that aging and death are only part of a greater cycle of rebirth and continuity.
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 16, 2024
I have developed a penchant for books that make me cry.
Sheryl McFarlane knew what she was doing when she wrote a story about a grandpa who loves orcas because I am not okay. Maybe I'm still a child at heart because this hit me like a ton of bricks.
June is Orca Action Month, and I chose the perfect book to read in honor of these intelligent and murderous social sea pandas.
I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up. Honestly, though, I doubt I would have read it. Reading was not my thing when I was a kid. All I wanted to do was watch Cartoon Network and play with Barbies. But now that I'm older, I realize I need to make up for all that lost time.
SPOILERS.
This beautiful story is about an elderly man and his love for nature.
The old man is lonely. His children have moved away, and he spends his time gardening, tending to his crops, gathering oysters when the tide is low, and strolling through the familiar woods that once served as his playground and workplace. But most of all, he enjoys gazing out at the water, eagerly awaiting the return of his beloved orcas.
Every summer, the whales came in close to shore. They rubbed their enormous backs against the rocks of the island. And they feasted on salmon bound for spawning grounds up the creek that ran past his garden into the sea.
The old man watched the pod of orcas leap and breach and smack their tail flukes against the water. And as he stood on the bluff, his heart leapt with the whales below. It seemed to him that there was nothing more wonderful than these great mammals of the sea.
Every year as the whales departed, tears filled his eyes.
He was alone again.
One day, his daughter returns holding a small baby girl. At first, the old man is reluctant, but he soon becomes enchanted with his little granddaughter.
When the whales return, the old man takes his granddaughter to the water's edge and tells her stories of the whales he has watched all his life.
As the little girl grows, she accompanies her grandpa everywhere and helps him with his chores. They are inseparable.
The grandfather imparts all his knowledge to his granddaughter, teaching her about the woods, trees, and the best locations to gather logs, salal patches, and watercress.
Each evening, they look out to the sea, hoping for the return of the orcas.
The elderly man's strength wanes, so his daughter and granddaughter take over the chores. Sometimes, he assists them, but mostly, he sits on his porch, gazing out at the water, waiting for the return of the orcas.
The orcas come back in the summer, and the old man passes away. The mother consoles her daughter, telling her that her grandfather's spirit has joined the orcas.
Many times that winter, mother and daughter looked out over the stormy grey water of the strait and waited for the orcas to return.
They don't return until next summer. The little girl is happy once more.
Moments later, the bay was filled with black dorsal fins cutting through the water. When the girl spotted a calf swimming between its mother and an old bull, a fierce cry of joy escaped her.
And right away, she flew up the hill to tell her mother.
The author didn't specify, but I believe the story was inspired by the Northern Residents. They have a unique tradition that no other orcas in the world have. Every summer, they visit Strider Beach in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve to rub their bodies along the smooth pebbles. This tradition is passed down to each generation, and the location is referred to as the "rubbing beaches."
I thought of two beings while writing this review: my late grandpa and Corky, the last surviving Northern Resident in captivity, who hasn't seen her family since 1969. I wonder if she still remembers, more than half a century later, the times she visited the rubbing beaches with her family when she was wild and free.
Sheryl McFarlane knew what she was doing when she wrote a story about a grandpa who loves orcas because I am not okay. Maybe I'm still a child at heart because this hit me like a ton of bricks.
June is Orca Action Month, and I chose the perfect book to read in honor of these intelligent and
I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up. Honestly, though, I doubt I would have read it. Reading was not my thing when I was a kid. All I wanted to do was watch Cartoon Network and play with Barbies. But now that I'm older, I realize I need to make up for all that lost time.
SPOILERS.
This beautiful story is about an elderly man and his love for nature.
The old man is lonely. His children have moved away, and he spends his time gardening, tending to his crops, gathering oysters when the tide is low, and strolling through the familiar woods that once served as his playground and workplace. But most of all, he enjoys gazing out at the water, eagerly awaiting the return of his beloved orcas.
Every summer, the whales came in close to shore. They rubbed their enormous backs against the rocks of the island. And they feasted on salmon bound for spawning grounds up the creek that ran past his garden into the sea.
The old man watched the pod of orcas leap and breach and smack their tail flukes against the water. And as he stood on the bluff, his heart leapt with the whales below. It seemed to him that there was nothing more wonderful than these great mammals of the sea.
Every year as the whales departed, tears filled his eyes.
He was alone again.
One day, his daughter returns holding a small baby girl. At first, the old man is reluctant, but he soon becomes enchanted with his little granddaughter.
When the whales return, the old man takes his granddaughter to the water's edge and tells her stories of the whales he has watched all his life.
As the little girl grows, she accompanies her grandpa everywhere and helps him with his chores. They are inseparable.
The grandfather imparts all his knowledge to his granddaughter, teaching her about the woods, trees, and the best locations to gather logs, salal patches, and watercress.
Each evening, they look out to the sea, hoping for the return of the orcas.
The elderly man's strength wanes, so his daughter and granddaughter take over the chores. Sometimes, he assists them, but mostly, he sits on his porch, gazing out at the water, waiting for the return of the orcas.
The orcas come back in the summer, and the old man passes away. The mother consoles her daughter, telling her that her grandfather's spirit has joined the orcas.
Many times that winter, mother and daughter looked out over the stormy grey water of the strait and waited for the orcas to return.
They don't return until next summer. The little girl is happy once more.
Moments later, the bay was filled with black dorsal fins cutting through the water. When the girl spotted a calf swimming between its mother and an old bull, a fierce cry of joy escaped her.
And right away, she flew up the hill to tell her mother.
The author didn't specify, but I believe the story was inspired by the Northern Residents. They have a unique tradition that no other orcas in the world have. Every summer, they visit Strider Beach in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve to rub their bodies along the smooth pebbles. This tradition is passed down to each generation, and the location is referred to as the "rubbing beaches."
I thought of two beings while writing this review: my late grandpa and Corky, the last surviving Northern Resident in captivity, who hasn't seen her family since 1969. I wonder if she still remembers, more than half a century later, the times she visited the rubbing beaches with her family when she was wild and free.
May 17, 2023
Each fall as the whales departed, tears filled his eyes. He was alone again.
Sniff...sob. This simple picture book had me at "whales". Gorgeously illustrated by the great Ron Lightburn, here is a story about growing old and the familial ties that bind generations together.
An old man lives alone by the Northwest coast. His biggest joy is watching for the arrival of the Orca Whales on their yearly migration. In between their journey, he farms his land by himself as his children have all grown and long moved away. His love for nature and the sea is seen in each illustration, whether he is collecting driftwood or hiking in the foggy woods. One day, his daughter comes back home to live with him. She has a baby now, and the old man won't be lonely anymore.
I really enjoyed this, as I thought about how we interact with our aging parents as they near their last days. The old man clocks his life's days around the Orcas, which brings this tale to another level. Generations pass away from our sight, but we each keep their memories until, at last, it is our time, too.
Lovely, lovely book. The artwork is marvelous. I would recommend for helping children, and ourselves, cope with the loss of grandparents.
Book Season = Autumn (time for the Orcas to leave)
Sniff...sob. This simple picture book had me at "whales". Gorgeously illustrated by the great Ron Lightburn, here is a story about growing old and the familial ties that bind generations together.
An old man lives alone by the Northwest coast. His biggest joy is watching for the arrival of the Orca Whales on their yearly migration. In between their journey, he farms his land by himself as his children have all grown and long moved away. His love for nature and the sea is seen in each illustration, whether he is collecting driftwood or hiking in the foggy woods. One day, his daughter comes back home to live with him. She has a baby now, and the old man won't be lonely anymore.
I really enjoyed this, as I thought about how we interact with our aging parents as they near their last days. The old man clocks his life's days around the Orcas, which brings this tale to another level. Generations pass away from our sight, but we each keep their memories until, at last, it is our time, too.
Lovely, lovely book. The artwork is marvelous. I would recommend for helping children, and ourselves, cope with the loss of grandparents.
Book Season = Autumn (time for the Orcas to leave)
May 26, 2025
Waiting For The Whales written by Sheryl McFarlane and illustrated by Ron Lightburn won several awards for illustrations and text. It is a delightful children’s book about an old man watching for the orcas each year. The full page illustrations are beautiful.
10/4/25 5 stars
10/4/25 5 stars
August 2, 2018
A completely endearing, very moving, and even tear-jerking storybook. The story was beautiful.
The illustrations, too, are beautiful. Lightburn is somewhat well named as he is a master of light in his art.
I can easily see how this book won the Governor General's award.
The illustrations, too, are beautiful. Lightburn is somewhat well named as he is a master of light in his art.
I can easily see how this book won the Governor General's award.
October 22, 2017
This is a very touching book about a man, his family, and his love for his orcas over time. He passes on this love in his family in a very touching way.
March 27, 2009
I read this book about 8 years ago, I dont remember all the details but I remember loving this book i know it's good, maybe I'll re-read it again.
November 7, 2012
You will ugly cry.
January 1, 2015
A wonderful picture book for young children about loss.
July 11, 2023
We read quite a few bittersweet Canadian picture books this evening.
June 29, 2024
This was lovely. The cadence of the words was great and I nearly cried reading it to my kid.
June 29, 2023
This book was loaned to me as a child by the school guidance counsellor after my grandpa died. I remember feeling upset that adults wanted to read this book to me. I'd feel a wave of anxiety any time I remembered or saw the book for decades. This was the first time I've attempted this book since 25 years ago.
As an adult who has read hundreds of children's books, I agree with the adults of my past too. This book is beautiful and was so perfect for me in that time, but I couldn't appreciate it then.
TLDR; Don't stop reading powerful, beautiful books with kids to help them through situations even if they resist the book(s). They stay memorable and hopefully they will grow to love them in the future.
As an adult who has read hundreds of children's books, I agree with the adults of my past too. This book is beautiful and was so perfect for me in that time, but I couldn't appreciate it then.
TLDR; Don't stop reading powerful, beautiful books with kids to help them through situations even if they resist the book(s). They stay memorable and hopefully they will grow to love them in the future.
June 13, 2025
A beautiful book. Such a touching and heartfelt story.
February 15, 2024
A old man lives alone in a cedar-shingled cottage by the sea. He loves to watch the eagles soar and the herons fish. Each spring he plants a big garden which he tends with great care and love. The man often walks in the woods where he knows every tree, clearing, and trail. He enjoys these things, but lives for the summer evenings when he can watch the orcas swim. One spring day his daughter comes home bringing her baby daughter with her. Soon the old man is showing this little granddaughter all of the wonders of the world outside his cottage. As she grows she watches the eagles and herons. She goes with him when Grandfather walks in the woods and helps tend the garden. One spring the old man isn't well. The granddaughter and her mother plant the garden and gather the salal and watercress from the woods. The first day the orcas come Grandfather dies. As they dry their tears the mother tells her daughter that Grandfather's spirit has gone to leap and swim with the whales. One evening in July, the girl climbs the hill and looks over the water. Some of the orcas a hanging back from the rest. Suddenly the bay is filled with whales. The girl sees a brand-new calf swimming beside its mother.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
April 23, 2009
A lovely story of the grandparent/child relationship, growing old and ultimately death - yes this is a sad, but ultimately hopeful story.
The illustrations are fantastic - almost photo-realistic in the areas you focus on (the people and what they are immediately interacting with), while the background tends to become a little more abstract.
The illustrations are fantastic - almost photo-realistic in the areas you focus on (the people and what they are immediately interacting with), while the background tends to become a little more abstract.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews