After producing 2 movies: 'Saving Luna' and 'The Whale', Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm have come out with yet another masterpiece about Luma the whale. The Lost Whale is also a tale of human kind’s effect on the Earth and its animals and a young boy’s discovery and determination to try and put it right. One animal at a time. Firstly, I hope it raises awareness of ocean conservation, in particular the plight of the whales. And that if we all work together by taking part on group conservation causes (as per the Happywhale database in the book) then we can make a difference.

Lleno de mensajes duros pero necesarios, sin dejar perder la esperanza, es un libro que te hace pasar por una vorágine de sentimientos y no dejará a nadie indiferente. The Lost Whale chronicles the life of Luna, or L98, a lost (or abandoned) male orca calf from L pod, who lived in Nootka Sound for 5 years - from 2001 to 2006. His friendly interactions with the local community gained international attention, but also raised some serious concerns. What to do with a whale in their midst? Let nature take its course? Capture and relocate him? Kill him? Place him in an aquarium? Michael Parfit leads the reader through all of it, and more. It's not the (sad) outcome that's captivated me, though, but Parfit's recollection of the events that led to it. The latter part of the book, when the emotions start taking over and the author is no longer concerned only with facts, was a bit on the rambling side. But it's still so very well written. (The book reminds me of A Wolf Called Romeo, and it's not a random association, as orcas are often called the wolves of the sea; regarding this, what I found particularly intriguing was that Luna was fascinated with the wolf howls he was played.)The story is totally engrossing – once I started reading I had to read it in one go! Gold writes about animal adventures in a completely natural way, combining lots of information with a strong story line and characters which evoke our empathy. It’s a story you can literally dive into, enjoying the vicarious thrills of spotting – and along the way – saving grey whales.

Hannah Gold's latest novel, The Lost Whale, includes strong ecological themes and the bond between a boy and a distinctive whale. The author's passion for the natural world currently under threat makes their book outstanding' New Statesman, Best Children's Books of the Year For The Lost Whale, I actually went to the marine protected lagoons in Mexico where the grey whales travel each winter to breed and calve. For me, this kind of physical and sensory immersion is essential in getting to the heart of the book and making these new worlds feel as alive and as real as possible.When Rio is sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, he feels completely alone. Then he makes a new friend on the foggy beach--a girl named Marina, who teaches him about the massive grey whales that migrate nearby. An absolutely beautiful story of love, loss, hope and passion told through the eyes of the young, the determined, those who know change must happen. From a structural point of view, there had to be a reason why Rio would fly off to America all by himself, but from an emotional point of view, the reason why I chose mental health as one of the major themes of The Lost Whale is because it's something very close to my heart. I particularly love the turquoises and blues on the front cover. From the inside illustrations, I actually think he has surpassed his own high standards! My favourites are obviously the one of Rio and White Beak in the water together but also the one of the dolphins bow-surfing next to the boat. When I saw that one, I actually gasped! The dolphins were so life-like. It really did fill me with joy and wonder to see them all. What are you writing currently - and can we expect a similar environmental thread in your next novel?

Hannah Gold is so good at describing a magical bond between a child and an animal! It's such a good kind of fairytale and had I been a child, this book would have endlessly inspired me to save the world.Rio debe mudarse a causa de su abuela debido a que su madre debe ser ingresada por su salud mental. En la costa californiana se encontrará con las ballenas y descubrirá un don que cambiará su vida. Como veis aquí hay para todos, eso es lo que tienen las buenas historias, que cada lector puede sacar y quedarse lo que es para él, lo que necesita en ese momento o con lo que se siente más identificado. Y por si esto fuera poco, las increíbles ilustraciones la hacen todavía más bonita, son simplemente una obra de arte (mirad las fotos del interior, son alucinantes).

Dette er historien om Rio, der bliver sendt til Californien for at bo hos sin mormor, som han knap nok kender, da hans mor bliver alvorligt syg. Rio savner sin mor fra første sekund og det eneste, der får ham til at smile, er hvalsafari med hans nye veninde Marina. Hos sin mormor finder han en masse gamle tegninger, som hans mor har tegnet af hvalerne - specielt hvalen Hvidnæb. En hval som Rio også finder. Rio danner et stærkt bånd til den store hval og føler for første gang i lang tid håb. Men da Hvidnæb forsvinder, må Rio begive sig ud på en farefuld færd for at finde hende …

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I'm not one of those authors who approaches research from a particularly scientific point of view, but what I do like to do is immerse myself in the setting of the book. So, for The Last Bear, that meant reading lots about Bear Island, watching documentaries on the Arctic and traveling to Norway to experience the midnight sun first-hand. A dazzling debut . . . A magical, confidently told story - with beautiful illustrations by Levi Pinfold . . . I predict a roaring success' The Times Children's Book of the Week