“I remember what Greatmother said about the last time the sea shook with such violence. Hard times followed for every creature” (Parry 183).

Rosanne Parry’s novel titled A Whale of the Wild is a story about survival. It is told from the alternating perspectives of Vega and Deneb, sibling orca whales who struggle to find their way back to safety after getting separated from their pod. Follow them along their brave journey as they face natural and man-made disasters which have devastating effects on their habitat.

I really enjoyed the black and white ink illustrations drawn by Lindsay Moore that cover many of the pages in the book as they pair very nicely with the text. I appreciated the author’s commitment to detail when describing the orca whale and its habitat. There is also a glossary of scientific terms, information about other marine life and a section on the First Nations people of the Salish Sea.

This animal adventure would be a great read-aloud book for students ages 8 to 12. It makes many cross-curricular connections with Science as it inspires reflection on our role as caretakers of the environment. This book is a stand-alone companion to A Wolf called Wander.