Wanting to sail beyond its rock, a tiny snail hitches a ride on a big humpback whale and then is able to help the whale when it gets stuck in the sand.
Growing up I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I don't usually rate children's books here on Goodreads, but this one is insanely good. The poetry is playful, but also has a certain driving quality that makes it rare among children's books. "These are the waves that arched and crashed, / That foamed and frolicked and sprayed and splashed / The tiny snail / On the tail of the whale." Wow! I just love the sheer sophistication of the language here, how it's for children but it isn't dumbed down: "These are the caves / Beneath the waves / Where colorful fish with feathery fins / And sharks with hideous toothy grins / Swam past the whale / And the snail on his tail."
I have to admit I'm normally sort of allergic to children's books that rhyme, because so many children's books handle verse poorly and because, when I read books that rhyme, my brain has trouble turning off the impulse to judge them as poetry and keeps piping up with nitpicks like, "'Golden'? Couldn't the author have chosen a less cliche adjective?" Still, The Snail and the Whale is quite winsome, particularly in its use of subtler/more complex poetic effects such as internal rhyme, alliteration ("great big gray-blue"), "This is the house that Jack built"-inspired anaphora, and thematically meaningful repetition (for example, the way the teacher's admonitions and her association with a soot-black chalkboard hearken back to the admonitions of the risk-averse snail flock on their soot-black rock, drawing a parallel between individualism-restricting forces of different kinds). And there are charming shades of Charlotte's Web in how the smaller animal uses writing to save the larger animal. Also, I appreciate the realism in how the narrative implicates careless human boaters as the cause of the environmental disaster of the whale's beaching. I also like how the moral isn't "The whale got beached, so the risk-averse snail flock was right all along" but, rather, "Risk-taking individualist thinking is worth it, even if there are occasional failures along the way." Finally, drawing those little lichens that stick to beach rocks is almost impossibly difficult, and I tip my hat to Axel Scheffler for pulling it off.
The creators of 'The Gruffalo' have come up with another winner in 'The Snail and the Whale' for it is a delightful little story with exquisite illustrations.
The snail, with an itchy foot, lived on a black rock close to a harbour and was always wishing that travel was on the agenda. But much as ships sailed in and out regularly, our friend the snail was island-bound. 'How I long to sail,' she was often saying.
She then decided that she should take action and so she left a silvery trail on the side of the rock that stated, 'Lift wanted around the world'. One night when the tide was high a passing whale spotted her request and duly picked her up on the end of his tail, saying to the snail, 'Come sail with me.'
They sailed to towering icebergs and far off lands, fiery mountains and golden sands and all the while the waves arched and crashed around them but the snail remained safe on the tail of the whale. When they went underwater the snail was still safe and she was much admired by passing stripy fish and sharks with hideous grins.
The pair endured thunderstorms and zigzag lightning and the snail was amazed by everything she encountered and everything she saw and when she gazed at the sky, the sea, the land and the waves she was often heard to say, 'I feel so small.'
Then one day the whale lost his way and encountered speedboats and people having fun; he was so disorientated that he ended up, with the tide slipping away, on the beach. The snail tried to encourage him to get off the beach but he replied that he was too big and therefore unable to do so. It was at this point that the snail became a heroine as she made her way to a nearby school and left a trail on the blackboard that said, 'Save the whale.'
Everyone, including the local firemen rushed to the beach and they all began spraying the whale to keep him cool while some of the children dug around him to provide water from under the sand. Then the tide came in and much to everyone's relief the whale, complete with snail on its tail, took to the water once more.
The whale and the snail eventually made their way back to the black rock where they told their tale to the other snails and this resulted in the whale setting sail into the sunset with a colony of snails on his tail! It was indeed a great tail, sorry, a great tale!
Read this again (November 2019) as I can't resist the brilliant Donaldson/Scheffler combination. And it is just as good, if not better, than when I first read it.
The snail still wants to sail and see the world and the whale is still prepared to take him/her on his journey after he sees the advertisement 'Lift wanted around the world' written in a silvery trail on a black rock.
This precipitates an epic journey that sees the snail and the whale in icy seas, observing mountains and golden sands on the shore, under the sea admiring the sea-life, surviving a thunderstorm and avoiding pleasure seekers in a holiday resort.
Unfortunately in avoiding those holiday makers on their jet skis and in their motor boats, the whale allowed the tide to slip away and found himself marooned on the beach. The snail panicked as the whale declared itself too big to make a move back to the sea and hurried to a school, posted a message 'Save the Whale' on the blackboard and the children rushed to the beach to dig it out of its problem. And they did, so that whale and snail were able to return home.
And once home they gathered all the snails together and set off once again on a communal journey … I wonder what will happen this time.
The Snail and the Whale is a heart-warming story about how friendship can come about in the most remarkable way.
A snail stuck on his rock yearns for adventure and to see more of the World. The whale who is passing by offers the snail a chance of adventure and together they set sail seeing: towering icebergs; far off land; huge waves; the enormous sky and so on. The snail is awestruck by all the things he sees and feels his place in the World is very small. That is until the whale gets beached after becoming too curious about some jet-skis and getting to close to land. The snail has to use his ingenuity to rescue the whale and in doing so realises that it doesn’t matter what size you are, you can still help your friends and be recognised in the World. Together the snail and the whale return to the rock they started their journey from and collect all the other snails to go on another adventure.
I like this story as it is sensitive story, putting the values of friendship and kindness at the forefront in a straightforward way. It illustrates to children that even though they may sometimes feel small and ineffectual that they can do some fantastic things (it is after all the children who are central in rescuing the snail) With characteristic Julia Donaldson writing and rhyming, the pace of the book means it is fun to read out loud and creates a strong atmosphere from the first page.
The Snail and the Whale is appropriate for ages 3 and older (although some children may like it read out loud to them before then) It would be an ideal book to read early on to the class to teach them the value of friendship.
Wonderful story! Loved the suggestion that brilliant friendships do not necessarily have to be between two similar individuals. In this story the two characters are brought together, and aid each other, with their differences, not similarities.
Description: A half hour animated film for all the family based on the much-loved book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE is the much loved classic that shows us a restless young snail who has ambitions to travel the world. The other snails think she should stay put, but she puts out a call for a “Lift wanted around the world”. Eventually her call is answered by a great big grey-blue humpback whale! She sets off with him across the seas. On their journey the snail and the whale discover towering icebergs and far-off lands, fiery mountains and golden sands. The snail is delighted by the wonderful world around her, until she realises how small it makes her feel. Then when the whale get confused by noisy motorboats zooming on the surface, he loses his way in the shallows and ends up beached in an isolated bay. Suddenly it’s down to the tiny snail to rescue the powerless whale. She crawls off determinedly, to a school where she alerts the children by writing: “Save the Whale”. They call the fire brigade and everyone works together to help the stranded whale. Free once more, the whale takes the snail back home, only to discover the other snails are inspired by the tale of the tiny Snail. So they all set off together, on the tail of the whale, on a new epic journey.
Featuring the voices of Rob Brydon as the whale, Sally Hawkins as the snail, Dame Diana Rigg as the narrator and Cariad Lloyd as the teacher.
I liked many things about this engaging story about a little snail who longs to see the world, and the kindly whale who agrees to give her a ride on its tail. At first, the story is one of awe and discovery and friendship. But, seeing so many amazing things in the big, wide world, the snail feels so very small... Then, it becomes an environmental cautionary tale as the whale is upset by speed boaters and ends up beached. The little snail has a chance to do something BIG and save her friend. And, with the help of some school children and others, she succeeds. This would be a fun read-aloud, though at times the rhyme scheme is a bit awkward. Too, you need to look closely at the pictures to really pick up on all the charming details -- like the facial expressions of the snail as she sees the world. Very cute! The storing brings a nice message showing that you don't have to be "big" to do big things, and that is an important one for "small" children to hear.
A lovely book of adventure and the big wide world . As the snail would say " The sea is deep and the world is wide" As with all books we've read of Julia Donaldson and Axel scheffler. Wonderfully written, and accompanied by lovely bright colourful pictures.
Niedliche Idee, aber leider finde ich es etwas zu bemüht und nicht mehr so einfach und flott wie den Grüffelo. Dir Geschichte hat ultraviel Text! Zum Vorlesen abends also eher ungeeignet, wenn man dann auch noch die Bilder angucken muss...
Basically this is just a version of The Lion and the Mouse, but it's a fun tale about how good deeds are returned to those who deserve them. With lovely illustrations by Axel Scheffler.
This is a smaller, re-designed version of 'The Snail and the Whale' 'to support children who are growing in reading confidence'. And those children, and also us adults, will not be disappointed with the production. The smaller illustrations are still just as brilliant and the rhyming verse flows along just like the whale carrying the snail all round the world and back!
The snail has an itchy foot and wants to see the world but she doesn't know how she is going to do so. The whale provides her with the answer; seeing her advertisement on the rocks, he says to her, 'Come sail with me.' And so, perched on his tail, she does.
Icebergs, fiery mountains and golden sands, caves beneath the crashing waves, and storm tossed seas are all part of the adventure. And then the whale gets lost and he ends up on the beach in trying to avoid speedboats. It looks like the end of the journey for the poor whale.
But the snail thinks differently and she finds a school where, while the children are at playtime, she writes on the blackboard, 'Save the whale.' And the teacher and the children all rally round, go down to the beach and manage to relaunch the whale.
Snail and whale eventually arrive back at the rock from where they began their journey and all the other snails want to take a trip so the whale has them all on his mighty tail as he sets off once more.
Great story, great illustrations and great for the children to enjoy Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson is a fantastically written story which outlines the random travels of an unlikely duo. Through Axel Scheffler's use of colourful illustrations, the catchy rhyming and alliterations throughout the story, we get to see all of the places that the pair encountered on their travels, including the "towering iceberg", "far-away lands" and " golden sands". When the whale loses his way and they both wash up on a beach, there is instant panic as the big whale and the tiny snail both feel utterly helpless. Luckily, the snail is determined to save his new friend. The children, their teacher, and the firemen all work together and the whale and the snail are set off safely on their adventure once again. This story is suitable for a wide age range of 3-8 years, and is ideal for proving that any two people can strike up a strong friendship, regardless of their backgrounds, size, etc. It also shows how teamwork is essential to succeed and help others in life.
There once was a snail that hitched a ride on the tail of the whale, and off they went to travel the world at sea.
And…
If it seems strange that these two would be travelling companions, we will learn as we read this story, that this snail and whale each play an important role in each other’s lives.
And…
How there is something to be gained in a story about a snail that hitched a ride on the tail of a whale.
This is a wonderful story with fun illustrations for reading out loud and also for ages 2-6 years of age.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is a wonderful rhyming story about a sea snail that is eager to travel the world. The rest of the flock are not so enthusiastic about the idea but one day the snail meets up with a whale that invites her to join him as they travel the world. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world. However when disasters strikes and the whale gets stuck on the beach, the little snail uses its initiative and finds a way to get help for the whale. This delightful rhyming story would be suitable for children between the ages of three and six however it could also be a nice story to read to even younger children. The story illustrates many important qualities such as friendship and the importance of helping others where possible while it also shows that there are no boundaries in friendship as we all come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I really enjoyed reading this short story.
While I agree that The Gruffalo is undeniably a fantastic children's book, The Snail and the Whale is by far my favourite of Donaldson's. I found my nursery class on SEB absolutely adored this book and I ended up reading it to at least 2 of them in the book corner every day!
An unlikely friendship occurs between a tiny snail and an enormous humpback whale, together they go on all sorts of adventures on their round the world cruise, they see icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins. But disaster strikes and the whale becomes beached, luckily the little snail finds a revolutionary way to save the day...proving that no matter how little you are, you can achieve great things if you put your mind to it!
The Snail and the Whale is a lovely book about a snail that yearns to see the deep ocean and the vastness of the world. It goes on a journey with the humpback whale to see all the lovely spots around the world and we - the readers - get to see them as well. They go from icy plateau's to sandy beaches where each place is inhabited by different types of creatures.
I really enjoy Julia Donaldson's animal picture books with their engaging fun rhymes and the cute and adorable lovely illustrations by Axel Scheffler.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves animal picture books with fun rhymes.
We are huge fans of Julia Donaldson in this family. I think this is my absolute favourite of hers - it's such a touching, beautiful story that always tugs at my heartstrings. Plus, I never get tired of rhymes.
Yet another picture book about how the smallest of us can save the day, and how we shouldn't discount the efforts of those who we may think are too small.