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[Following is a volunteer review of "Whale of Wonder" by Marie-Paule Mahoney.]

Whale of Wonder by Marie-Paule Mahoney is a wonderful children's book. Mama Tahlequah, a wise orca whale, has a conversation with her young son, Notch. She answers many of his questions about orcas' language, family traditions, and the dangers they encounter because of human activity. Then Notch asked her about his late little sister that Mama Tahlequah carried on her head for many days, refusing to let her go. Mama Tahlequah told him a story of this heart-wrenching journey with her dead child and how it finally ended. The story is based on real events.

My most favorite aspect of this book is that it is so informative. It offers facts about orcas that I didn't know myself. For example, I was amazed to learn that every pod of orcas has a different language. The author even provides us with a map of their habitat in the Salish Sea. In my opinion, this unique story can also awake compassion in children. For example, the story of a young orca in captivity can't leave anyone indifferent. It will teach kids how to deal with inevitable losses, for Mama Tahlequah's story about her pain and ways to overcome it is unforgettable.

Another important aspect of this book is that it shows young readers all the environmental challenges the orcas meet in their natural habitats. I believe that it allows kids to learn how to become more responsible towards orcas and other animals. I loved breathtaking illustrations by incredibly talented Ginger Triplett. They are vivid and accurate and can help children comprehend the story better.

There wasn't anything to dislike about this book. Also, I didn't find any grammatical errors or typos and assumed that the book was exceptionally well edited. Thus, I was very happy to award this marvelous book with 4 out of 4 stars. I couldn't take away a star because of the completeness of this unbelievable story, among other positive aspects of this book.

I recommend this book to children from 5 years old. The detailed and astonishing afterword allows me to recommend it to young adults, and all the interesting facts about orcas make it suitable even to adult readers. It may be a bold statement, but I believe that this book could also give comfort to those readers who lost a loved one.

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Whale of Wonder
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Providing morals and education to kids through fun and entertaining facts about orcas is so insightful. Great review!

This book is so beautiful. I loved little Notch's curious questions, and it was heartbreaking to know it was inspired by a true incident. Thanks for the beautiful review.

This book sounds amazing. It seems to include valuable life lessons and teaching kids respect towards nature is priceless. I sampled a few pages once and it is just overall beautiful! The story, the cover picture, the whales, everything! Thanks for reminding me about this book, I’ll be reading it with my kids!

It seems like a great children's book with educational information and a strong environmental message. Great review!

I too have read and reviewed this book. This is very informative and touching. It helps kids understand their role in protecting nature. Great review!

Oh, I love orcas! It is so important that this book shows the difficulties that these amazing animals are going through due to global warming: it is very informative for young children. Thank you for the great review!

Orcas are such beautiful and majestic animals. I used to (and still do) love books that I can walk away having learnt something new. It looks like a beautiful and fun book for children. Well done on your beautifully written review.

It sounds like the book is wonderful. I would love to learn more about orcas myself. I think I read this was based on a true story, which is kind of sad. Thanks for the review.