Blue Whale Blues

From beloved author/illustrator Peter Carnavas comes this perfect little melody, with themes of humor, friendship, and making the most of what you have … and need. Blue Whale Blues by Peter Carnavas is the story of a blue whale with the blues. Whale has bike trouble - first it's upside down, then it's all wet, then he doesn't know what to do with his helmet. Penguin is always around to cheer him up and fix the problem, however the BIG problem is that neither Whale nor Penguin realize that Whale's bike isn't really a bike… it's a shopping cart. With a little help from Turtle, Whale learns the truth. It's a funny, silly story about a penguin and a whale, but it's also a story about worry and anxiety, and how it can help sometimes to laugh a little more and worry a little less. In order to bring a real sense of fun to the illustrations, Peter used all sorts of materials and styles including watercolor, drawing on recycled materials like shopping bags, using string and fabric - it's a collage of styles and energy and emotion that will have broad appeal. Conveys a positive message of finding delight in what you already have. Laugh-out-loud! Sparks discussion between child/caregiver, counselor/student or in a classroom. What a good friend the patient and persevering penguin is! Reads like a song making it easy for the child to join in on the refrain - great for family, library or classroom read alouds or read alongs. Could be used as a choral reading piece, even with older students. Humorous and whimsical illustrations add to the joy of this book.