Charlie’s Whale by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville

Title: Charlie’s Whale

Author: Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Published: 28^th September 2022

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: Charlie loves whales. Minke whales, orcas, beluga whales and humpbacks, sperm whales and right whales, and especially the great blue whale. Little readers will delight in Charlie’s obsession with, and the illustrations of, these majestic giants of the sea from one of Australia’s most loved and awarded writers for children.

Charlie loves the sea.

He loves the seashells and the seahorses, the sharks and the stingrays, the crabs and the crayfish.

He loves the gentle waves that creep up onto the sand and tickle his toes.

He loves the huge wild waves that crash onto the sand and make the beach tremble.

But most of all he loves the whales.

~*~

Charlie loves whales – he’s much more interested in whales and his sea animal collection than building block towers, and he wants nothing more than to see a whale. But the aquarium doesn’t have one, and so, as he spends his summer at the beach, he looks for whales out in the ocean every day – so will he see a whale?

This beautiful picture book by Libby Gleeson is a celebration of whales and dreaming, of nature and the world around us, as seen through the eyes of a young boy obsessed with whales. But his family wants to distract him from his search. Charlie is resilient though, and he knows that if he keeps searching, he will eventually see a whale. Libby’s words are magical, working we with Hannah’s evocative illustrations that capture the broad and wide wonders of the sea and the creatures that live there.

I loved that whales played such an important part in this book, and allows kids to relate to Charlie as they explore and discover their own favourite animal. It’s always a joy to see different animals celebrated in literature, and the different ways they are portrayed and used. Animals are common in children’s books, and each author uses them and writes about them differently, resulting in lots of stories including kind ones like this, that encourage children to follow their dreams.

This special book shows kids that the things they are obsessed with, and love are varied – everyone likes different things, and this book is a celebration of that. It is also a celebration of the sea, whales of all kinds, and the natural environment around us. We are reminded to never lose our sense of curiosity and innocence through Charlie, and our belief that we will achieve our dreams. I loved this book and think that it is such a lovely story for readers of all ages, because everyone can find something to like in this book. Or even something that they can relate to. It is best suited to readers aged four and older.