Narwhal. (Animals Illustrated). Solomon Awa. Illustrated by Hwei Lim. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media, 2016. 24 pp., hardcover, $15.95. ISBN 978-1-77227-080-8. Subject Heading: Narwhal-Arctic regions-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-4 / Ages 6-9. Review by John Dryden. *** /4

excerpt:

Narwhals can dive deeper than almost any other whale. They have been known to reach depths of more than 4,900 feet (1,500 metres) on a dive. These deep dives last close to half an hour. The blood of a narwhale is able to hold a lot of oxygen for these deep dives. Narwhals have streamlined bodies that make them great divers. At these depths there is almost no light.

Narwhal is an excellent fact-filled book. The knowledge that the reader can get from the book is laid out clearly in the table of contents. Each section provides detailed information about the Narwhal. Topics included are The Narwhal, Range, Skeleton, Tusks, Diet, Babies, Predators, Under the Ice, and Deep-Diving Whales.

      The information that Solomon Awa provides is a thorough introduction that will satisfy most curious minds. I learned quite a lot about the narwhal and believe that any reader will do the same. A good example is that the 'horn' isn't a horn; it's actually a large tooth, and the Narwhal sucks food (like Arctic cod) into its two-toothed mouth. It was also very interesting to read about how deep the whales dive due to their ability to hold more oxygen in their blood.

      The book is illustrated by Hwei Lim. The illustrations are excellent and very detailed. However, they simply do not have the same impact as photographs of the real thing. One could argue that the illustrator's art should not be compared to photos, but I think the target audience and nature of this nonfiction book may have been better served with photographic imagery. I do applaud the publisher's effort in creating nonfiction books with excellent illustrations.

      Narwhal is definitely recommended for school libraries and classroom collections.

Recommended.

John Dryden is a teacher in the Cowichan Valley, BC.

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