Narwhal - by Candace Fleming (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this unique, breathtaking picture book, YOU are a narwhal--the unicorn of the Arctic! You joust, tusk to tusk, with another narwhal. You use echolocation to hunt for fish. You travel throu leads (small cracks) in six feet of ice in the Arctic Ocean. And--all while evading the jaws of hungry orcas--you migrate with your pod along a centuries-old path to your summer home."--Front jacket flap.

Book Synopsis

Venture to the Arctic Ocean and discover real life underwater unicorns--narwhals--in this stunningly illustrated nonfiction picture book.

A HORN BOOK AND BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

You are a narwhal.
Shy... Swift... Small...
Humans call you unicorn of the Arctic.

When winter ice covers the Arctic Ocean, a narwhal pokes his head through a patch of open water, his tusk--a six-foot long tooth--pointed to the sky.

Join this mammal as he jousts with another narwhal, floats with his pod, and uses echolocation to find his prey. When warmer weather arrives, he will migrate towards summer ground. But he must be careful! Predators--orcas and polar bears--will be hungry and looking for a meal.... How will the narwhal escape? Will he be able to return to the winter bay?

Paired with atmospheric illustrations by debut illustrator Deena So'Oteh, nonfiction master Candace Fleming delivers a picture book, uniquely told in second person, that expertly explores the mysterious and fascinating unicorn of the Arctic.

Review Quotes

★ "Together, art and text make this species biography not merely a lesson but an adventure, too." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Rich in facts and feelings, a warm invitation to join the pod of sea mammal lovers." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "This will be popular with animal lovers everywhere--particularly those convinced these unicorns are imaginary." --Booklist, starred review

★ "Readers are immediately immersed in the life of a narwhal as the unseen narrator invites them into the narrative....striking and informative." --The Horn Book, starred review

"The digital art embodies an approach of wonder and science....This would make an informative class read, or as a nonfiction companion to the sillier Narwhal of the Narwhal and Jelly series." --The Bulletin

About the Author

Candace Fleming is the prolific and versatile award-winning author of many acclaimed books for children and young adults. Her most recent fiction picture book, Mine!, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, received two starred reviews. Her previous collaboration with Rohmann, Honeybee, received seven starred reviews as well as the Robert F. Sibert Medal, and appeared on countless Best of the Year lists. Candace and Eric's other nonfiction picture book, Giant Squid, received three starred reviews, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, a NCTE Orbis Picture Book Honor, a Robert F. Sibert Honor, and was a Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year. Candace lives outside of Chicago.

Deena So'Oteh holds an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts. Her extensive editorial and book cover work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration and 3x3 Magazine. Her clients include The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Narwhal is her debut picture book. Deena splits her time between New York City and Switzerland.