Whale in the Waves

Animal Ark [GB Order] #34

by Lucy Daniels

Mandy Hope loves animals more than anything else. She knows quite a lot about them too; both her parents are vets and Mandy helps out in their surgery, Animal Ark.It's half-term and Mandy and James are staying in a Welsh fishing village. Mandy is excited to spot some whales out at sea. But next morning, on of them is trapped in the harbour. The gentle giant can't find her way out, but if she doesn't, she will die - and so will her baby, who is waiting for her.Can Mandy and James come up with a rescue plan?

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Juvenile

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

About the author

Lucy Daniels is the collective name for the writing team that created the bestselling children's book series Animal Ark, many of the books are also published under the name of the series creator, Ben M. Baglio.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of books in the Animal Ark series that were never published in America. Unless I'm mistaken (which I could be), this is one of those books. I wish I knew why Scholastic chose to pass over certain books. Some, I suppose, were too British, like Swan in the Swim. Some had confrontations with poachers, which I guess were considered too dangerous for American kids. Might give them ideas.

But just why this book was passed over is anybody's guess. This is not only one of the better Animal Ark books, it also doesn't descend into downright silliness, like in Lion by the Lake. This was also a children's book that had a couple of twists I couldn't see coming, which is getting rarer and rarer at my age (54).

This was really written by Sue Welford, one of the original ghostwriters in the series. She not only wrote many books in this series, but also contributed to spin-off series like Animal Ark Pets. I like Welford, since she often takes the time to learn about the species of animals she's assigned to write about. Here, it's minke whales.

Mandy and James are on holiday again, but this time it's with James' family and not Mandy's. Good. About time the Hopes stayed in Welford to do their damn jobs. Unfortunately, Blackie is not here this time around, but his place is taken over by Muffin, the clever mongrel owned by James' cousin.

And, for a brilliant pun, the story is set in a coastal village in Wales. Every now and then, the ghostwriters pull off a little wink and nod like this. I wonder if this book was originally entitled Whales in Wales.

Although the story is aimed at 10 - 12 year olds, it made for an interesting and enjoyable read for this adult. The illustrations by Jenny Gregory were very good, although she apparently was a bit daunted by drawing Muffin, of all animals.

American kids may wonder why a radio is a big deal in Wales. This was published in 1998, when the Internet was well established in the UK. However, radio in the UK is a far different Animal than radio in America. Radio is highly entertaining and often community minded.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really great read! i picked this book up at a bookcrossing meeting, basically just because it is situated in wales. the names of the towns were fictional, except for the name of the bird rock, that actually exists in gwynedd and i liked that detail, haha. the story is really nice for kids, i loved the suspense and the small side stories that happen. there is also a lot of info on animal species, the welsh countryside is lovingly portrayed.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in sixth class and I liked it. I only chose it because it had Whales on it but I really enjoied reading it. At the time I knew about Minke Whales (Balaenoptera Acutorostrata) so I knew already what it looked like so it helped me visiualize the book. (The finishing date is estimated).

[Sammy]

I was completely obsessed with this series of books when I was a child and my aim was to read every single book. They are a really good children's series.

[Taylor Troncin]

Loved this series when I was younger. Still a huge animal lover and would like to read the rest of this series!

[Lieselotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved these books when I was young.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I love all Animal Ark stories.