Deep

Stephen Hogtun

Bloomsbury, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781526610683

“Go my little one, swim free,” she whispered.
“I’ll always be waiting here . . .”

When a tiny whale calf is born, his mother raises him to the surface to take his first breath. She guides him as he grows, until he is strong enough to swim at her side, and they set off together on a great journey across the oceans.  One day, the time will come for the grown calf to set out on his own . . . but wherever he goes and whatever he does, his mother will be waiting for him and sending her song of love across the oceans.

With illustrations as evocative as the text, this is a story of a mother’s enduring love as she protects and guides her baby until her job is done and he is able to swim free and independently – much like that of a human mum. In fact much of the whale’s learning and adventures mirror that of  the human experience and young readers will recognise this and perhaps be surprised by it, opening up discussion of the parallels and differences between mothers and their children in the animal and human environments..

Despite, or perhaps because of, their size, little ones are always fascinated by stories of whales, particularly those lucky enough to see them often on the whale highway, so this is a beautiful, gentle must-have addition to the collection.