The Storm Whale

Product Information

Noi, who was waiting patiently all this while, decided to look out for his dad in a boat. He put on his boots and stormed out of his house to find his dad. Noi was waiting for his dad Noi lived with his fisherman father and their six cats in a small house by the sea. Every day his father would head out to sea on his boat, and the young boy would be on his own. Then one day, after a great storm, Noi found a baby whale washed up on shore. Determined to care for this stranded creature, Noi brought the whale home and put it in the bathtub. His understanding father, when he discovered the cetacean in the tub, realized that Noi had been lonely, but told him that they would have to return the whale to his ocean home all the same. A simple but powerful story about loneliness and the love between a parent and child” – New York Times We in this house love the sea and any stories about it, so this picture book caught our eye immediately.

This summer after having written two books about The Storm Whale, and never having seen a whale in the wild, I decided it was about time that I did. My wife and I chose to visit Iceland – we had wanted to go there for a long time – and whilst there we would make a special trip to see some whales with our own eyes. I had heard that the best place in Europe to see whales, the whale-watching hotspot, was in the north of Iceland near a place called Húsavík.

Age 3-7 The Storm Whale is a story about a lonely boy called Noi. The son of a hardworking fisherman, Noi spends a great deal of time on his own. One day he finds a stranded baby whale on the beach. Can he keep the whale at home? He would love the companionship. The story explores his dilemma and what happens when his father finds a whale in the bath. This is a beautifully illustrated appealing story about being lonely and taking responsibility. It could lead to broader discussions about issues such as animal welfare. Intensely atmospheric, full of biting cold, tender detail and warm light, this is a book to cuddle up with” – The Guardian Noi was so happy to find his dad. They safely reach home and never fails to remember the story of the snowy night and how the storm whale rescued Noi, just like he rescued it last summer. A beautiful ending just like the last sequel. Noi with his dad

We climbed aboard our vessel, a large oak bottomed boat with a little white bearded captain at the helm, alongside many other whale tourists who had come here from all over the world to see the same magnificent creatures that we had. Things to make and do Play the story Imagine you and your child are Noi and his dad. Have an imaginary conversation after Dad comes home and finds a whale in the bath. It would be fun for your child to play the grown up while you are the child. Make a soundscape of a stormy seaA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. From that moment Noi and his dad started spending more time together and Noi enjoyed every moment he spent with his dad. A beautiful ending to this heartwarming story. Noi and his dad spending time together.

I’ve always admired whales, they are so big but gentle, and they have a mystical otherworldliness about them living in their vast underwater worlds. We are privileged to be sharing this planet with them, as with all creatures, but they in particular seem so ancient and wise. I feel that humans will never understand as much about just ‘being’ as these amazing giants do – it’s a great tragedy that we choose to act as if we are superior to them as a species, when we are anything but.

WDC is delighted to be working with author and illustrator of The Storm Whale children’s’ books, Benji Davies, to help bring the wonder of whales and dolphins to children across the world through his tales of Noi and his friend, The Storm Whale.Benji recently spoke to WDC about his trip to see whales swimming wild and free in the waters off Iceland, and his connection with these magnificent creatures. Using voices or improvise instruments to make the sounds of a stormy sea. This is more fun if you do it together, perhaps recording your stormy sea sound effects. Paint a picture