A Whale of the Wild

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A spellbinding, heart-stopping adventure. Booklist (starred review)

A dreamily written, slyly educational, rousing maritime adventure. New York Times Book Review

In the stand-alone companion to theNew York TimesbestsellingA Wolf Called Wander,a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats.

For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her familys matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader shes destined to be

A Whale of the Wildweaves a heart-stopping tale of survival with impeccable research on a delicate ecosystem and threats to marine life.New York Times-bestselling author Rosanne Parrys fluid writing and Lindsay Moores stunning artwork bring the Salish Sea and its inhabitants to vivid life. An excellent read-aloud and read-alone, this companion toA Wolf Called Wanderwill captivate fans ofThe One and Only IvanandPax.

Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout, a map, and extensive backmatter about orcas and their habitats.

Reviews

Parry creates a spellbinding, heart-stopping adventure for middle-grade readersthis time about a pod of orca whales and their plight in todays Salish Sea. . . . Parrys thorough research, observation, and creative writing combine to share the marvelous matriarchal familial world of orcas . . . Her descriptive narrative rises in intensity to match each new danger and resolves with a bittersweet yet hopeful finish. . . . Excellent. Booklist (starred review) After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure. . . . Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. . . . A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. Kirkus Reviews "Vega is a young orca whale being trained by her mother to one day be the groups Wayfinder . . . But when she and her young brother are separated from the pod . . . Vega must use her wayfinding skills to reunite them with their elders. . . . Parry weav[es] a great deal of information about orcas and their habits into the narrative. School Library Journal After just a few pages, readers will be completely immersed in the underwater world of Rosanne ParrysA Whale of the Wild . . . [Parry] skillfully incorporates details about orcas as well as the many threats to their existence. . . . A Whale of the Wildoffers brisk drama alongside insight and wisdom, demonstrating the vital importance of taking care of each other and the world we live inabove and below the surface. BookPage.com [An] enthralling new novel . . . Parry writes in a tradition of animal adventure novels that address environmental issues from the animals point of view . . . A Whale of the Wild is a dreamily written, slyly educational, rousing maritime adventure. New York Times Book Review A story about two young orcas, Vega and her little brother, Deneb. . . . When Vega acts impulsively, the siblings become separated from their pod. In searching for their lost family, they discover friends and grave danger. Washington Post "Vega, a late-adolescent orca whale . . . lives in the Salish Sea, an area of stunning ecological richness and diversity . . . When theres an earthquake with its resulting tsunami, Vega and Deneb become separated from their pod. Parry does a convincing job of presenting orca life in fresh language that rings true. . . . [and] becomes increasingly heartbreaking as the characters try to deal with the fracturing of their world. The story contains gracefully integrated information . . . Detailed black-and-white illustrations beautifully support a powerful portrait of nature under threat." Horn Book Magazine Two young orcas search for lost family, meet unique friends and deal with the dangerous impact of pollutants and global warming on their undersea world, which is vividly rendered in this novel through words and pictures. Washington Post

Author Bio

Lindsay Moore is an artist and writer with roots in Northern Michigan. She studied Marine Biology and Fine Art at Southampton College on Long Island and figure drawing at the Art Students League in New York City. She earned her Master of Science in Medical and Scientific Illustration from Medical College of Georgia (now Georgia Regents University) and has received recognition for her work from both the Association of Medical Illustrators and the Australian Institute of Medical and Biological Illustration. She lives in Bowling Green, OH.