A Baby Whale Ventures North by Samantha Baker

Come along and frolic in the waves with a baby humpback whale and her Momma as they travel from their breeding grounds in the south to the northern coastal waters of Newfoundland in Samantha Baker's second book A Baby Whale Ventures North.  As the two mammals swim side by side on their long journey the humpback calf learns so many things about it's ocean home and the many sea creatures that share her habitat. From learning to feed on capelin to taking deep dives and resurfacing for air, the young calf delights in the many sights and sounds that the coast has to offer. But most importantly, the calf learns that her mother is always by her side! 

A Baby Whale Ventures North is the second collaboration for daughter and mother duo, Samantha and Dawn Baker. Author Samantha Baker does a superb job at chronicling the journey of these two majestic ocean mammals! The tale is simple and delightful, tenderly written with a most uplifting message. Baker superbly weaves tidbits of information about the growing calf throughout the entire narrative, invoking excellent opportunities for inquiry and questioning, while at the same time introducing children to the many seabirds, fish and crustaceans that make the North Atlantic their home. The illustrations, by Dawn Baker, are bold, colorful and action oriented and reinforce the theme that all living things have needs supported by our adult caregivers, our mothers. They present wonderful opportunities for young children to interact with this Science themed book. I particularly enjoyed the "Did you spot?" section of the book where readers are encouraged to go back into the text and look for "6 Blue Mussels" , "3 Common Sea Stars", or "2 Common Terns". It is also nice to see iconic Newfoundland images like Signal Hill and, what looks to be, the Cape Spear Lighthouse incorporated throughout. An excellent addition to a home library and school resource centre, A Baby Whale Ventures North is simply a stunning book for the little person in your life. Congratulations, Samantha and Dawn Baker, on another wonderful collaboration! This book is a Flanker Press publication.

 The summer is coming to an end and the baby whale feels much braver than she did when she first arrived in the North Atlantic Ocean. She is eager to show off to her mother and leaps out of the water! Her mother proudly watches. .... Though the calf's world is about to change again, one thing remains the same: her mother will be by her side.