Mocha Dick: The Legend and the Fury

Gr 3 up—This intricately designed picture book tells the story of the real life whale that inspired Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. The tale begins in 1810, near the island of Mocha, with the spotting of a sperm whale by a whaling crew. The ship gave chase, harpooning the whale, who burst from the water, attacking the small boat ("The huge head shook savagely until only splinters remained."). Christened Mocha Dick by the sailors, this giant continued to battle with whaling crews over the years, most famously sinking the 238-ton Essex in 1820, until meeting his end in 1859. Much like a tall tale, the legend of Mocha Dick is a combination of history and embellishment. Heinz's text relies on powerful imagery to convey the strength and magnificence of the whale ("Droplets fell like jewels upon his back. His flukes hammered the surface like a cannon shot."), while Enos's linocut collage illustrations, surrounded by colorful borders, are reminiscent of scrimshaw and capture the story's action well. Pair this exciting title with Eric Kimmel's Moby Dick: Chasing the Great White Whale (Feiwel & Friends, 2012) to contrast the real and fictional whales or with Nathaniel Philbrick's Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex (Penguin, 2002) to give students more information on the Essex.—Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR