Additional information
by Lynn Brunelle (Author), Jason Chin (Illustrator)
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal
Follow a blue whale's enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish. All living things must one day die, and Earth's largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond. Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin's astonishing artwork enriches and amplifies engaging, well-researched text by Bill Nye the Science Guy writer Lynn Brunelle. Young lovers of the macabre will relish each page of Life After Whale. Meanwhile, those grappling with the hard subject of death will take solace in this honest look at the circle of life, which closes on a young whale enjoying the same waves as her ancestor. Additional back pages offer further info and reading recommendations on whales, whale falls, and ecosystems. An Orbis Pictus Honor BookWinner of the Bank Street Cook Prize!
One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for Older Readers
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
A CLA Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
An Evanston Public Library Blueberry Honor Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Author Biography
Lynn Brunelle is a four-time Emmy Award-winning writer for Bill Nye the Science Guy, the author of the bestselling books Pop Bottle Science and Camp Out!, among many other titles, and a former K-12 teacher. Her memoir Mama Gone Geek won the Independent Publishing Award Gold Medal, and her book Turn This Book into a Beehive received the Parent's Choice Award Gold Medal. A trusted science communicator, she has been featured on numerous television and radio shows, contributed to magazines and podcasts, given a TED Talk, and spoken at the UN about girls and STEM education.
Jason Chin is a celebrated author and illustrator of children's books. He received the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in Andrea Wang's Watercress, a Newbery Honor book and APALA award winner. His book Grand Canyon was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. His other acclaimed nonfiction titles, including Coral Reefs, Redwoods, Gravity, Island: A Story of the Galapagos, Your Place in the Universe, and The Universe in You, have received numerous starred reviews and other accolades. He lives in Vermont with his wife and children.
Number of Pages: 48
Dimensions: 0.5 x 9.2 x 11.2 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: June 04, 2024
Award: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (2025)
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall
Interest Level: Lower Grades, K-3
Reading Level: 6.4
Point Value: 1
