Here Come the Humpbacks!

In a story about a humpback whale calf, Sayre balances informative text with polished prose that lightly personifies the animals: %E2%80%9CHead down, in deeper water, a male whale sings. His song rhymes and repeats. All the male whales in the area know this year%E2%80%99s song%E2%80%94yet they vary it, like jazz musicians onstage.%E2%80%9D As mother and calf move from the shallows into the open ocean, they encounter other creatures and objects, which Sayre introduces in offset text about whale-watching tours, barnacles, suckerfish, chemical pollution, and more. Hogan%E2%80%99s charcoal and pastel illustrations subtly vary texture, light, and shades of blue to convey the changes in the submarine environment as the whales travel. Ages 4%E2%80%937. (Feb.)