Little Whale by Jo Weaver (Hodder Children's Books)

We're kicking off 2018 with a huge selection of "WOW" books already, and this one in particular really caught our eye...
"Little Whale" by Jo Weaver is perfect for kids and parents who've been watching the recent "Blue Planet II" on TV, and want a story that describes the epic 12,000 mile migration journey that Blue Whales take every year.

Moving between their feeding grounds and their "Home", these amazing animals undertake an epic migration every year - and baby whales always travel alone for their first time out, with mum making sure they're protected and safe - and even letting them hitch a ride when they get tired (12,000 mile swim? Yeah that'd be pretty tiring I think!)

The story is gentle, and beautiful to read aloud. What really caught our eye about this one though was the approach to the artwork, which works so perfectly that it gives us hope that children's books will continue to innovate, and be beautiful pieces of art in their own right.

Jo's amazing charcoal and chalk illustrations are just mesmerising, atmospheric, and yet depict the story perfectly.

We're always told that kids don't really bond with books that are anything other than riotously colourful and yet I can see many children really enjoying this one, and marvelling at the facts about Blue Whales at the end of this amazing tale.

C's fave bit: Tense and exciting when the Orcas start to close in!

Daddy's best bit: A stunning book depicting the annual migration journey of Blue Whales, those gentle ethereal gods of the ocean. A fantastic book to kick off 2018 with!

"Little Whale" by Jo Weaver is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).