GEORGE, Jean Craighead. Ice Whale. 4 CDs. 4:30 hrs. Recorded Bks. 2014. $46.75. ISBN 9781490630212. Playaway, digital download. Gr 4-6–This magnificent story begins with Toozak‚ a Yup’ik Eskimo boy in Alaska, staring at a whaling ship with a red, white, and blue flag. When Toozak unknowingly leads the Yankee ships to the whales’ feeding grounds, the animals are slaughtered. For this, the village shaman declares Toozak’s family cursed until one of them can save the life of Siku, a young ice whale or the whale saves them. The late George is wondrous when writing about the natural world, and narrator Christina Moore captures the emotional story in a strong, lyrical and imaginative way—told in two voices, whale and human. Moore’s distinctive narrative style helps capture the primal link humans share with nature. Expressive, thrilling, and, at times, sad, this is an exhilarating audiobook highlighting the interconnectedness of the Alaskan Native culture and the inhabitants of the Beaufort Sea. Real recordings of bowhead whales are used to render the whale speech, and it is delightful to hear actual whale clicks, whistles, and calls throughout the book.—Jennifer Mann, Cromaine District Library, Hartland, MI