Whale Shines: An Artistic Tale

K-Gr 5—A big art show is coming up and Whale laments his lack of talent. Unlike Squid, he has no ink to print with; unlike Eel, he cannot make lulling patterns. Thoughtfully designed in landscape, the story of the young artist unfolds, "Once upon a tide…." Whale, small and solo, is swimming under the surface of the sea, encompassing two pages painted in the most serene horizontal lines of watercolor-melded greens and blues. The painterly sensibility; the use of horizontal panel layouts across a spread; the cinematic close-up of the bioluminescent plankton reflected in Whale's eye; the nuanced use of pencil to add texture to sea and sky; and the glow of the deeply saturated palette all deepen characterization of the sea creatures and develop a sense of place. The horizon line itself plays a special role. It is a line only Whale can breach, where he finds his unique perspective. Speech bubbles and puns add a sense of levity, as do the campy creatures and their artwork, including the curator, "Mr. Jackson Pollock." When Whale emerges above the horizon line, "basking in the glow of the moon…and the starry night," he finds his true artistic gift: "Such a shame that the other sea creatures never get to see what I see." Children will embrace and understand the sincere, undervalued message of art as substantive and a way to "share one's world." This inspiring tale of artistic collaboration between the whale and bioluminescent plankton will be shared again and again.—Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City