A Book About Whales

Graphite-hued cetaceans swim through the pages of this fact-filled guide. Antinori’s drawings expertly combine telling detail and unaffected charm to show whales from a variety of perspectives as the book meanders through subjects such as how whales evolved; the difference between baleen and toothed whales; sizes of different whale breeds; behaviors such as feeding and migration; and even the distinguishing patterns of whale blows. A section on whales and humans chiefly focuses on hunting, and Antinori notes “there are indigenous populations who continue to practice whaling using traditional methods... whale hunting is necessary for their survival.” The entire scope of human impact on whales, though, through overhunting and environmental degradation, is omitted. Details on 10 whale species, a bibliography, an index, and a list of sites for whale-watching close this appealing, if incomplete, introduction to some of Earth’s most marvelous mammals. Ages 8–12. (May)