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Nature Storybooks
Big Blue Whale: Read and Wonder
Equally majestic as the biggest animal that has ever lived — the Big Blue Whale.
Read and Wonder books tell stories, take children on adventures,
and reveal how big and WONDER-full the natural world really is.
Back matter includes an index.
Read and Wonder books tell stories, take children on adventures,
and reveal how big and WONDER-full the natural world really is.
Back matter includes an index.
32 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 1997
4 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Davies
167 books183 followers"I was very small when I saw my first dolphin," says zoologist Nicola Davies, recalling a seminal visit with her father to a dolphin show at the zoo. Enchanted at the sight of what she called the "big fish" jumping so high and swimming so fast, she determined right then that she would meet the amazing creatures again "in the wild, where they belonged." And indeed she did--as part of a pair of scientific expeditions, one to Newfoundland at the age of eighteen and another to the Indian Ocean a year later. In WILD ABOUT DOLPHINS, Nicola Davies describes her voyages in a firsthand account filled with fascinating facts and captivating photographs of seven species of dolphins in action.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
Nicola Davies's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for studying animals of all kinds has led her around the world--and fortunately for young readers, she is just as excited about sharing her interests through picture books. The zoologist's latest offering puts a decidedly quirky twist on her years of experience: POOP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE UNMENTIONABLE is a fun, fact-filled guide to the fascinating world of poop across species. "As a zoologist, you are never far from poop!" the writer explains. "I've baked goose poop in an oven with my dinner, looked at bat poop under the microscope, and had my T-shirt stained pink with blue-whale poop. I was obviously fated to write this book."
The exceptional combination of Nicola Davies's zoological expertise and her first-rate children's writing is apparent in her remarkable catalog of award-winning titles. Her first book with Candlewick Press, BIG BLUE WHALE, was hailed by American Bookseller as an "artfully composed study" offering "language exactly appropriate for four- to seven-year-olds and precisely the right amount of information." In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly written ode to a much-misunderstood flying mammal, the pipistrelle bat, while SURPRISING SHARKS--winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor Award--contains unexpected facts about another one of the planet's most infamous animals.
When she is not off on scientific expeditions, Nicola Davies lives in a cottage in Somerset, England, where she is lucky enough to have pipistrelle bats nesting in her roof.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 16, 2018
Big Blue Whale is a beautifully illustrated factual book all about the life of a Blue Whale. The book opens with a message from the author about how the blue whale is endangered and less than 10,000 of them are living in the world today after they were hunted (they are now protected and hunting them is banned).
Each double page teaches something new about the whales, but not in a preachy way. The book follows two children as they look at the whales. Over the course of the book they learn how big the whale can grow to, how heavy they can be, what they eat, how they breath. Everything a child could want to know about Blue Whales is covered in this book. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, even I didn’t know some of the facts – Did you know that they don’t have teeth? Well I didn’t.
This book is perfect for any child who is interested in nature. It would also be a great book to use in a classroom, where the class could do a topic on them. There is even a section at the back which the author has included for teachers and how the book supports KS1-2 English and KS1-2 Science.
Each double page teaches something new about the whales, but not in a preachy way. The book follows two children as they look at the whales. Over the course of the book they learn how big the whale can grow to, how heavy they can be, what they eat, how they breath. Everything a child could want to know about Blue Whales is covered in this book. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, even I didn’t know some of the facts – Did you know that they don’t have teeth? Well I didn’t.
This book is perfect for any child who is interested in nature. It would also be a great book to use in a classroom, where the class could do a topic on them. There is even a section at the back which the author has included for teachers and how the book supports KS1-2 English and KS1-2 Science.
August 21, 2017
I love Nicola Davies books. As a grown-up, I have learned a lot from her books. This book, though published a long time ago, still provides a nice introduction to the majestic animal that is the blue whale, the biggest living being on our earth.
November 14, 2025
It covers the facts and the illustrations are beautiful.
January 11, 2023
"I don't like the pictures. The people look too clowny. I wish there were more facts about whales. The people shouldn't be standing on the whale's mouth." -S. Pop (5 years old)
April 17, 2018
This is a such a wonderful book even I, as an adult, have enjoyed and learned something new about the blue whale! This picture book, wider than A4 but shorter is filled with some glossy thick pages and some lovely colourful illustrations and text. ‘Big Blue Whale’ is part of the Nature Storybooks collection which aren’t actually fictional stories but non-fiction books.
The book begins by explaining how big a blue whale is, with a picture that covers two sets of double pages! And then goes on to explain various other things about them such as what they eat and how they migrate. Every page is filled with some interesting facts and lovely illustrations. There’s something I’ve really enjoyed about this particular Nature Storybook above some others and I think it’s the great way it give insight into these beautiful sea creatures as we really don’t know much about them. The facts on every page are easy to understand and also written in a way that makes them fun and makes you want to know more.
I’ve really love the illustrations in this book. They’re different to any I’ve ever seen with lots of criss-crossed lines used throughout various images but somehow it really works and I really love looking at these pictures. I love the way the blue whale looks in some of the pictures, it not only has some realism but also looks cute in some of the images, especially when its exposing it’s baleen plates (the bristles in its mouth) to the two children interested in learning about it.
The front of the book has a page before the title page which explains a bit about how whales have been hunted down to small numbers. The very back page has a notes to teachers and parents sections with information on how to use the book with kids. This book actually supports Key Stages 1-2 of both Science and English so it’s a great learning resource to use both at school and at home.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get their kids interested in learning about animals. I’ve really loved reading it and even as an adult I’ve learned new things! I’d especially recommend reading it as it talks about a beautiful animal that not many people really know that much about and it makes you feel for and respect them and want to learn more.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
The book begins by explaining how big a blue whale is, with a picture that covers two sets of double pages! And then goes on to explain various other things about them such as what they eat and how they migrate. Every page is filled with some interesting facts and lovely illustrations. There’s something I’ve really enjoyed about this particular Nature Storybook above some others and I think it’s the great way it give insight into these beautiful sea creatures as we really don’t know much about them. The facts on every page are easy to understand and also written in a way that makes them fun and makes you want to know more.
I’ve really love the illustrations in this book. They’re different to any I’ve ever seen with lots of criss-crossed lines used throughout various images but somehow it really works and I really love looking at these pictures. I love the way the blue whale looks in some of the pictures, it not only has some realism but also looks cute in some of the images, especially when its exposing it’s baleen plates (the bristles in its mouth) to the two children interested in learning about it.
The front of the book has a page before the title page which explains a bit about how whales have been hunted down to small numbers. The very back page has a notes to teachers and parents sections with information on how to use the book with kids. This book actually supports Key Stages 1-2 of both Science and English so it’s a great learning resource to use both at school and at home.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get their kids interested in learning about animals. I’ve really loved reading it and even as an adult I’ve learned new things! I’d especially recommend reading it as it talks about a beautiful animal that not many people really know that much about and it makes you feel for and respect them and want to learn more.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
October 3, 2017
"Big Blue Whale" is a great book that informs readers about blue whales. While giving this information, there are fun facts about the whales tucked in the illustrations. Like, "Blue whales can live for about 70-80 years." You learn about the whales eating habits, where they are located, and their physical features.
I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are great and are fun to look at. The writing itself was easy to follow and I learned a lot about whales from it!
I would recommend this book to a younger audience. Specifically, if children were learning about ocean life, mammals, or in a science classroom setting.
I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are great and are fun to look at. The writing itself was easy to follow and I learned a lot about whales from it!
I would recommend this book to a younger audience. Specifically, if children were learning about ocean life, mammals, or in a science classroom setting.
September 19, 2023
This was an academic read, in perpetration for the possibility of teaching key stage one children.
This was nice to read, albeit, it was a little dull.
The children’s picture book narrates information regarding big blue whales. It covers the basic information around their lives, from their diets to growth and reproductive habits. Thus, the book was informative and educational to read. Moreover, the illustrations in the book were nice to look at, especially with its pale blue colour scheme.
I would read this to younger children, but I probably would not pick it up for myself again, just because of the lack of fictionality within this book.
This was nice to read, albeit, it was a little dull.
The children’s picture book narrates information regarding big blue whales. It covers the basic information around their lives, from their diets to growth and reproductive habits. Thus, the book was informative and educational to read. Moreover, the illustrations in the book were nice to look at, especially with its pale blue colour scheme.
I would read this to younger children, but I probably would not pick it up for myself again, just because of the lack of fictionality within this book.
November 21, 2018
Love this book! I really like how the factual text is used as a narrative for the story with the addition of further fascinating information about blue whales. My son is fascinated by blue whales because they are the biggest animals to live in our world. I feel other children will enjoy learning about this incredible creature it explores its diet, migration habits, size and other amazing features such as its eye being as big as a teacup and as dark as the deep sea. Lovely descriptions that children can relate and visualise with.
June 14, 2017
Big Blue Whale is a nonfiction children's book that focuses on whales and their habits and habitats. The text in this book is simple and effective in informing the reader about whales, and the illustrations stand out as cool and relaxing because of their mild color tones and crosshatch style overlay.
April 6, 2020
Really loved this book! It had great pictures, and great word usage! I was very informing for children, but also entertaining which is the perfect combination for a kindergarten classroom! It had bold words on some of the pages, which is always a good way to exaggerate something! Really enjoyed this book and would like to have it in my future classroom.
November 22, 2023
A very nice whale book with artful illustrations. Very interesting: I learned a lot about the incredible blue whale. I feel bad for them, though, so it was kind of a sad book. They're very solitary animals (which sounds lonely), and they're endangered. How awful for these poor beautiful creatures.
July 8, 2017
Excellent book. So interesting for all ages - my ten month old, my seven year old and myself truly enjoyed this! Learned a lot about blue whales from this book, without being overwhelmed. Great illustrations and relate-able facts [like a blue whale weighs more than 25 elephants combined!].
September 17, 2017
A brilliantly executed example of a non-fiction picture book for children 4-8. Excellent, entertaining and informative reading; especially for those who love wildlife. Great illustrations, and wonderful typesetting. Everything works together perfectly.
I will be using this as a mentor text!
I will be using this as a mentor text!
March 12, 2018
Beautifully illustrated and informative book. My daughter is amazed how big blue whales are. The fact they have baleens and not teeth and they eat krill which she can't believe is is only the size of my pinky (her thumb!)
April 25, 2019
This would be a good book to grade with 1st-3rd graders.
It is an informational book about whale, their migration cycle, diet, and breading cycle. It is written like a story with straight facts added in.
Would be a great book to use when learning about marine life.
It is an informational book about whale, their migration cycle, diet, and breading cycle. It is written like a story with straight facts added in.
Would be a great book to use when learning about marine life.
July 30, 2020
A non-fiction children’s book about the life of blue whales! Easy to digest, has lots of great vocabulary with poetic intonation and can easily cross-curricular with Science and Geography.
Science - life cycle, habitat
Geography - World/map/ globe, north and south pole and equator.
Science - life cycle, habitat
Geography - World/map/ globe, north and south pole and equator.
May 25, 2023
So many cool facts included, and the book is written in a way that gets kids and adults alike thinking about the grandeur of the ocean. My 4yo loved it, and it answered every question she had about the blue whale
March 2, 2017
I learnt something new from this book. Excellent starter guide to blue whales.
June 25, 2018
As always, Nicola Davies delivers fascinating science and engaging writing!
October 30, 2018
Great book for educating children on the Blue Whale. Short, simple facts with good pictures.
June 27, 2019
As always very well done.
June 3, 2020
How can I read this book
October 2, 2020
The students liked it.
January 13, 2021
This book is a very sensuous exploration of what a blue whale feels, sounds and smells like. There are descriptions and facts about a whale's size, life-span, diet, babies and more
May 19, 2021
Whales are amazing and wonderful marine mammals! In this book, the reader gets to learn about the blue whale which is the largest creature to ever live on Earth. Fabulous illustrations.
June 13, 2023
(2023) I do love the Read and Wonder series of picture books. This one weaves a tale about the Blue Whale and how it travels and lives it's life. Lovely artwork. A great book for a whale topic.
August 1, 2023
Lovely book; very informative.
August 13, 2023
Więcej info niż w tej o wilkach, znowu jak dla mnie ładne ilustracje ale nie dużo po za tym
February 19, 2025
Do books about whales ever grow old? Nope.
Read
July 14, 2025read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews