The Whale (Lighthouse Family Series)

by Cynthia Rylant, Preston McDaniels (Illustrator)

Overview

Pandora, Seabold, Whistler, Lila, and Tiny have all been enjoying the love and comfort that being a family brings. It is a comfort they are unexpectedly reminded of when Whistler and Lila hear the cries of a lonely baby beluga whale named Sebastian. When they learn that he has lost his mama, the Lighthouse Family, with the help of a cranky but noble old cormorant named Huck, does all it can to bring Sebastian and his mother together again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689848834
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	08/24/2004
Series:	Lighthouse Family Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	276,102
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Visit her at CynthiaRylant.com.

Preston McDaniels is the illustrator of the Phineas L. MacGuire series and Cynthia Rylant’s Lighthouse Family series. He lives in Aurora, Nebraska.

Read an Excerpt

The Whale

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By Cynthia Rylant

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Copyright © 2003 Cynthia Rylant
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0689848811

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Chapter 2: The Whale

Whistler and Lila were walking along the rocky shore, happily collecting shells, when from out in the water came a long, sad cry.

"What's that?" asked Lila, stopping and looking across the sea.

She and Whistler stood very still and listened.

There it was again. The saddest, loneliest cry they had ever heard.

Whistler scrambled up a tall stick. Lila followed.

"Who's there?" called Whistler as loudly as he could (and a small mouse voice is not very loud).

"Who's there?" Lila called after him.

Most fortunately, most luckily, most wonderful for all, the creature who was crying had very good ears.

Up from the water popped a shiny white head.

"Me!" the creature called, and began to cry.

"My goodness!" said Lila. "It's a baby whale!"

And indeed it was. A baby beluga whale, in fact. And, oh, how it could cry.

"We'll be right there!" shouted Whistler. "Don't move!"

And within minutes the two children had run for their small boat (built for them by Seabold) and were rowing out to the whale.

When they finally reached him, the baby beluga was quite exhausted. Too exhausted even to cry anymore. He simply looked at them with frantic, frightened eyes.

"I've lost my mother," he whimpered.

"Oh, dear!" said Lila in distress. Being an orphan, Lila was very sensitive to babies with lost mothers.

"Where did you lose her?" asked Whistler.

The beluga looked as if he might start crying again. But he didn't.

"Somewhere," he said. "We were swimming and a big pod of humpbacks came through, and there were so many, and I saw a baby I thought I could play with and I followed him and then...and then..."

The baby whale sobbed.

"Then the humpbacks swam away all of a sudden and I was by myself."

"Oh, dear," said Lila.

The little whale floated silently. He was looking most tragic. The two mouse children gazed at him with deepest sympathy.

Suddenly Whistler declared, "We will find your mother!"

Lila looked at him in surprise.

The beluga's eyes brightened.

"Really?" he said. "You can find her?"

"Definitely. We are experts at finding lost mothers," Whistler fibbed.

Lila looked at him in even greater surprise.

"Here's what I want you to do," Whistler said to the baby. "Oh, by the way -- what is your name?"

"Sebastian," said the whale. Whistler introduced himself and Lila.

"Very happy to meet you," said the well-mannered, tear-soaked beluga.

Whistler resumed. "Here's what I want you to do," he said. "Do you see that lagoon over there?"

The baby nodded his head.

"I want you to go over there and rest," said Whistler. "It's quite nice, the water is warm, and sometimes an otter comes along with a good story."

The whale nodded again.

"All right," he said.

"What is your mother's name?" Whistler asked.

"Mama," said the whale.

"No, no," said Lila. "He means her real name."

"Oh," said the baby. "Everybody calls her Honey."

"Honey?" repeated Lila. "What a nice name."

"She's a nice mama," said the beluga.

"Now you go over to the lagoon and wait for us, all right?" said Whistler.

"All right," answered Sebastian. "I'm a little sleepy anyway."

"Of course you are," said Lila.

"See you soon," said Whistler. "Don't worry."

As they watched the baby beluga swim toward the lagoon, Lila whispered to Whistler, "And just how are we going to find that mama whale?"

Whistler whispered back, "I have no idea."

Then he looked squarely at Lila.

"But we are going to do it!"

Text copyright © 2003 by Cynthia Rylant

Illustration copyright © 2003 by Preston McDaniels

Continues...

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Excerpted from The Whale by Cynthia Rylant Copyright © 2003 by Cynthia Rylant. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

1. The Family

2. The Whale

3. Some Help

4. Some Company

5. The Mother

6. A Friend Forever

Editorial Reviews

In The Whale, the second book in the Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant, with sepia-toned graphite illustrations by Preston McDaniels, the young mice Whistler and Lila come across a baby beluga whale who has lost his mother. They enlist the help of a cranky old cormorant named Huck to find the whale's mother in this sequel to The Storm, which PW called "a sweet, sea-inspired tale... [that] will keep readers turning the pages." Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

There is an island somewhere on which there is a lonely lighthouse. Not that long ago a lonesome cat called Pandora used to spend her days at the lighthouse, tending the lighthouse lamp, baking bread, and working in her garden. Though Pandora was not exactly unhappy, she also was not as happy as she is now. For now Pandora is no longer alone on her island. First a sea dog landed on her beach, worn out and injured by a terrible storm. It was not long before the dog, Seabold, felt very much at hope living with Pandora. Then the sea brought forth another vessel of weary travelers. This time it was three little mice children who slept before the fire in the lighthouse cottage. Orphaned and in need of a home the mice, Whistler, Lila and Tiny, soon came to feel that the lighthouse with its kindly cat and dog was their family. Pandora, Seabold and the children have settled down together very well, finding plenty to do and sharing their joys with each other. The only thing the little mice did not have was "adventure," something dear to the heart of the sailor dog Seabold. So Whistler and his little sister Lila set off looking for something new and interesting and they come up with a truly enormous adventure. In one of the coves of their island the two mice children find a baby whale. He is crying very loudly indeed and is very upset. The mice soon find out that the whale has lost his Mama and does not know where to look for her. The mice take it upon themselves to find the whale's mother and they end up have all sorts of wonderful experiences. With a gentle feel to it that is soothing and comfortable, this charming little chapter book with its lovely illustrations is a real treasure. It is apleasure to continue sharing the lives of Pandora, Seabold, and the mice children, all lost souls who needed a family. The story reminds us that families come in all shapes and sizes. We also see how special true kindness can be even if the package it comes in is crabby and irascible. With characters that one can identify with and a simple story, this book is sure to delight beginner readers. 2003, Simon and Schuster, and Ages 7 to 10.
—Marya Jansen-Gruber

Children's Literature

Gr 2-4-The Lighthouse family consists of Pandora, the cat; Seabold, the dog; and their adopted mice children, Whistler, Lila, and baby Tiny. In this adventure, Whistler and Lila help to reunite a baby beluga whale with his mother. While the characterizations are first rate and the sense of family harmony is stressed, the story is a bit thin and some of the dialogue seems strained. To help the tiny mice with the rescue, Rylant introduces Huck, the cormorant-"a soggy old bird" with a bad attitude. McDaniels's wonderful black-and-white graphite drawings capture the personalities of each of the animals. The layout and drawings are old-fashioned without being fussy and add needed drama to a somewhat simplistic story.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal