Trapped! A Whale Rescue

Cover image for Trapped! : a whale's rescue

Trapped! A Whale Rescue
by Robert Burleigh
illustrated by Wendell Minor
Charlesbridge, 2015. unpaged nonfiction

As a humpback whale swims placidly through the ocean, one of her flukes gets tangled in a discarded fisherman's net. As the whale swims, turns and dives, the net and the ropes attached to it get more tangled around the whale's body. Swimming becomes difficult, and soon the whale is so tired it is hard for her to surface for air. A team of scientists and divers come to the rescue. Carefully they cut the net from the whale. Before she swims away the whale nudges each rescuer to tell them thank you. This is a beautifully written picture book based on a actual event. Burleigh includes a note in the end that explains the origins of the story, and more facts about whales and whale rescue. The best part of the book, however, are Minor's realistic gouche illustrations. They capture the majesty of the whale and the beauty of her water home.

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