Victoria Cleal

One of Whiti's soccer ball-sized eyes gazes out from the visually stunning cover of this book, published by Te Papa Press. The colossal squid is one of the most popular exhibits at Te Papa and this book is an attractive source of information for young readers. Inside we follow the journey of Whiti from thumb-sized baby to mature colossal squid while we learn about colossal squid, Antarctica and many of the creatures that live there.
This is not a traditional nonfiction book so there is no table of contents or index. The lack of information about colossal squid means that Whiti's 'story' is a little sparse, but Victoria Cleal adds so much related information and interesting facts that this doesn't matter. I like the use of Te Reo in this book. Many Te Reo kupu are used throughout the book with the English translation being given in brackets on the word's first appearance. There is also a list of the Te Reo words and their translations at the back of the book. While Cleal's text is well-written, it is the illustrations by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White that take this book from 'good' to 'great'. The misty deep blue wash backgrounds with pale kowhaiwhai patterns complement the reds and oranges of the squid and other sea creatures beautifully. The inclusion of 3 sets of fold out pages allow a full appreciation of the magnificent art. My personal favourite are the pages depicting Whiti's babies heading off into a big, wide sea while a couple of her arms seem to be waving them farewell. This book would be perfect for any child with an interest in marine life.… (mehr)