The Storm Whale

Product Information

Children could make up their own story about Noi and the whale and what might happen if they meet again or you could make up one together. When children have made up their story they could write it down. See here for a special story sheet. The Storm Whale by Benji Davies is a tender and gentle story about the relationship between a boy and his father. The choice of the whale came seamlessly at the point of inspiration as I remember it. The idea that a whale could be in the bath was so misplaced as a concept that the story began forming around that starting point.

Read and Create is a personal blog, featuring children's literature and the play, crafts, outings and food inspired by stories. Noi and his father live in a house by the sea, on a small island that doesn't seem to have many inhabitants. Because Noi's father works long days on his fishing boat and doesn't return until after dark, Noi is often on his own. One day, while exploring on the beach after a storm has hit, Noi finds a baby whale washed up on shore. With the affection and good intentions unique to a young child, Noi decides to take the whale home and look after him. Happy to have a friend who we can speak to but conscious he willl not be allowed to keep the whale, Noi tries to hide the whale from his father. But there is only so long you can keep a whale in the bathtub a secret. When his father finds the whale and explains that he must be returned to the sea, Noi learns a valuable lesson from the experience, but so does his father. The Storm Whale is a gentle reminder that sometimes you need to make an effort to stay connected to each other. Noi’s dad is plodding through life but it takes the Storm Whale to make him realise that he needs to make more time to share with Noi.

Curriculum

We in this house love the sea and any stories about it, so this picture book caught our eye immediately. He has worked on a huge range of subjects and platforms, with clients as diverse as such Waterstone’s, Sainsbury’s and Oxfam, and in countries as different as India and Australia. He’s illustrated for several major publishers and is pleased to be working on Nosy Crow’s start-up list. Nostalgic and gentle, this book is beautifully crafted, with filmic, sometimes panoramic illustrations and a plot line that will give the reader goosebumps (in a good way) — so strong is the message and sense of there being a true friendship between boy and whale. Inmiddels heb ik wat meer prentenboeken gelezen en ik vind hem nog steeds mooi, maar meer 4-4,5* nu.

The Storm Whale by Benji Davies is a beautiful story for your seaside/under the sea topic all about friendship and loneliness. El niño se sentía tan solo, que encontro a la ballena, la cuidó y se hizo cargo, porque sentía que por fin estaba haciendo algo y que tenía compañía.Noi decided not to tell his dad about the whale and he sneaked in some fish for the whale before being found by his dad. Seeing Noi’s scared face, Noi’s dad realised how Noi was alone in the house and how he yearned for a friend. Noi’s dad said it’s hard to say goodbye to your friend, but he will make things alright between them. Noi’s dad found out about the whale. Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1AB Write the conversation that Noi has with his father when the whale is discovered in the bath. Use direct speech and / or reported speech to record what is said. Give your child a simple folded paper book. They could pretend they are Noi and write their diary in it – telling how he found the whale and took it home. Make up a story I don’t remember a huge number of picture books from when I was little but Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea was a big favourite.

Once children have become familiar with the story they could tell it to you, using the pictures as a guide. It is fine if children not yet reading use their own words for this. Talk about the story Noi’s dad is sorry that no-one was around to help Noi care for the little whale and he realises how lonely Noi is, at home all day. He resolves to put things right, so together they row the little whale out to sea and return him to where he belongs. It is hard to say goodbye to the whale but having Dad by his side makes it easier.My grandad was big influence on me when I was growing up — I think he was responsible for giving me a love of books and the natural world. La ballena, es un libro acerca de la soledad silenciosa. Esa clase se soledad que casi nunca se percibe y que las personas que no la padecen no se dan cuenta. Benji describes the book as being like the journey home; just as Storm Whale takes us out to sea, the sequel carries us home, as we find that Noi’s kind deed to the little whale was never forgotten. heartwarming story of family and friendship with striking artwork that perfectly captures the seaside world." – The Big Issue