Abelardo and his father head out on their panga (boat) only to discover that a whale is tanged in their only fishing net. The father is furious - they don't have enough money to repair the net and fishing is their only source of income. Despite the fact that his father forbids him from doing so, Abelardo takes the panga back out and, despite the danger, repeatedly dives and cuts the whale free. He is thanked by the whale's joyous leaps and spins. His father pronounces what he did both foolish and brave, before quickly getting back to work.
Part of the appeal of The Boy and The Whale is that it doesn't pander to its audience. The story is exciting and tense - Abelardo is facing real danger, diving underwater with a knife near a giant whale (his size repeatedly illustrated in impressive drawings). My son carefully listens each time we read this book, quietly absorbed (despite typically being chatty and full of questions while we read). That said, I think I may enjoy this story more than him.
BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)
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