Science Comics: Whales: Diving into the Unknown

Science Comics

by Casey Zakroff, Pat Lewis (Illustrator)

Dive deep with Science Comics: Whales, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series!

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

In this volume, Zip, an enthusiastic beaked whale, is eager to share everything he can about whale pods by broadcasting his very own undersea podcast! He will travel across the global ocean interviewing a diverse assortment of whales and dolphins about their amazing behaviors and habitats, as well as their interactions with the human world. Can this one small whale tell the story of the whole ocean and the interconnectivity that affects us all?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Animals, Comics, Childrens

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

Casey Zakroff is a marine ecophysiologist (he studies how animals' bodies function and interact with their environment), researching how stress impacts marine invertebrates. He has a PhD in Biological Oceanography from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which he was working on when he wrote Science Comics: Whales, his first graphic novel.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite series. These are all SO GOOD! Get some for your kids (and/or yourself!) today and learn more about all kinds of science through all kinds of topics while being entertained by the great storytelling! (This one is about a whale who's doing a "pod" cast, going around and interviewing lots of different types of whales in the ocean to learn more about them and about how the "aliens" (humans) are trying to learn about them.)

[Benjamin]

How? Another Science Comic to read with the boy.

What? A Cuvier's beaked whale runs into some humans who put a microphone on him. Scared by this event, he decides to gather stories from other whales who have met humans -- it's a podcast, you know, a recording of the whales in his pod. (10/10 joke, no notes)

While recording these stories, he learns all about whales: their evolution, diet, different species, and, of course, current status in the world.

Yeah, so? Maybe it's just because I read The Ministry for the Future recently, but I found this book depressing. Or maybe it's because we hit a stopping point one night right in the middle of the history of human depredation and pollution. Whatever the cause: whales are really interesting, true, and I came away wondering how much longer they'd be around.

The boy doesn't seem to notice or mind, and to be fair, the book does end with the note that a lot of humans want to know more about whales -- just like those who put a microphone on our protagonist.

[Sesana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a particularly charming science comic for me. The subject matter is very much for me, the framing narrative was fun, and there was a ton of cool info without being too dense. The framing device is that a young whale has had a close encounter with human scientists, and decides to start a "podcast" interviewing other whales about themselves and their experiences with humans. Which in turn shapes the information presented: instead of simply being a recounting of facts about whales, it's also about how humans understand and interact with whales. It brings a lot more depth than I was expecting. I also liked how many mysteries were presented: we know whales do this or that, but we don't know why or how. It humanizes science, and I think it could inspire some young readers. Of course, the framing device really only works because the whale characters are all so much fun. I think this is one of the best of the Science Comics series.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest Science Comics volume has a whale making a "podcast" interviewing other whales about their alien encounters (human encounters) and learning about the different subdivisions of whales.

This really focuses on introducing you to all the different types of whales. I learned about kinds of whales I had never heard about before from this. I appreciated that it almost always clearly stated when things were theories it talked about or when scientists were still debating things. Hand this to readers who want to know about every single kind of whale out there.

Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. The book does a good job balancing mentioning ways humans both hurt and help whales, and presents both sides of the whaling debate fairly. Whale deaths and how their nutrients help the other ocean life is described and depicted tactfully on page.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Everything you ever wanted to know about whales - and more. Plus it is in graphic novel form which will appeal to a huge demographic of readers. Zip is a beaked whale, tagged with a hydrophone by humans, so he decides to make a podcast (pun intended). Lots of facts about whales and undersea life, including their evolution from wolflike hunters on land in addition to how they are connected with humans and the rest of the natural world.

As with all the Science Comics collection, it is well researched, has vividly colored and engaging illustrations, and is an excellent addition to your collection. Get them all.

[Villis Sticht · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always these books are a fun way to learn a bit more about the world. I did get a little overwhelmed during the rundown of all the species, but there are just a lot of whales to keep track of! The end goal is to learn and retain a little bit of information.

My gross fact from this one is that sperm whales can tapeworms up to 100 feet long!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science comics are just so great! They have INCREDIBLE amounts of information packed into slim volumes that is fun and easy to read. I learned about some whales that I hadn't heard of before and also that whales' closest relative are hippos! Fun!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit lame. But it gets there eventually. More compelling at the end then throughout. And oddly enough I kind of think this one could be re-read. It is a little bit silly and dumps a lot of info. But eventually I kind of liked our narrator. And perhaps wanted the humans to be different. 3.5 of 5.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me want to read the rest of the series and share it with my grands...

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great science!

[David Schwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice introduction to some of the varieties of Whales. Nice graphics.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info, fun to read

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a little whale learning about whales and human encounters,tells fun facts about these underwater mamals. I thought it was really good.

[Deidra Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all the Hitchhiker’s Guide references

[blueygurl2016 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a Science Comic without pushing a political agenda. This one was really interesting. I enjoyed learning about the whales.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of whales is so fascinating! Zip and the myriad of whales he interviews for his podcast guide through this amazing world and provide knowledge about different whale species and what makes them unique and how they are classified.

This graphic novel not only provides the reader with beautiful illustrations with vibrant colors bringing zip's story to life, it also touches on how humans have played a role in the lives of whales; including the history of whaling, global warming, and the increasing threat of pollution.

Such a fun and beautiful way to learn more about these amazing creatures!!!!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic is an amazing way to learn! The writing is clear and the illustrations are an engaging mixture of diagrams, text, and whale drawings. The storyline draws you in to the mind of Zip our beaked whale narrator as he runs his "pod"cast for the "aliens" that tagged him with a hydrophone. I will definitely be reading more from this series and recommending them to others.

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whales are the most incredible creatures on earth! So this book should have been better. There was a lot to learn, but the author just blew through it all in the guise of a precocious, yappy little whale doing a "podcast" (ugh). This book didn't do the whales justice.