A Whale of the Wild
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-21 06:51:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Rosanne Parry
- ISBN：0062995936
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
In the stand-alone companion to the New York Times–bestselling A Wolf Called Wander， a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod。 This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds， survival， global warming， and a changing seascape。 Includes information about orcas and their habitats。
For Vega and her family， salmon is life。 And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder， preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch。 But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable。 Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family。 The young orcas face a shark attack， hunger， the deep ocean， and polluted waters on their journey。 Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be？
Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout， a map， and extensive backmatter about orcas and their habitats。
For Vega and her family， salmon is life。 And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder， preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch。 But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable。 Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family。 The young orcas face a shark attack， hunger， the deep ocean， and polluted waters on their journey。 Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be？
Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout， a map， and extensive backmatter about orcas and their habitats。
Reviews
Peacegal
，
The author of A WOLF CALLED WANDER has created another fantastic wildlife adventure， this time featuring orca whales。 Switching perspectives between a young adult female orca and her younger brother， readers are taken on a perilous journey when a tsunami causes the famously familial mammals to be separated from their close-knit pod。 Attentive readers will spot actual historical info about orcas in Pacific Northwest， and this is woven seamlessly and realistically within the storyline。 While ficti The author of A WOLF CALLED WANDER has created another fantastic wildlife adventure， this time featuring orca whales。 Switching perspectives between a young adult female orca and her younger brother， readers are taken on a perilous journey when a tsunami causes the famously familial mammals to be separated from their close-knit pod。 Attentive readers will spot actual historical info about orcas in Pacific Northwest， and this is woven seamlessly and realistically within the storyline。 While fictionalized， WHALE OF THE WILD is no flight of fancy--the behavior and experiences of orcas and other sealife in their habitat is true-to-form， as are the many hazards they must navigate， including， most grievously for this population of whales who subsist almost entirely on salmon， a crash in the salmon population。 I liked how some orcas looked at humans the way some humans look at whales--because they look and live in environment so different from ours， they must not have families or feelings。 While the ways of humans remain a mystery to our main characters， they do make some observations that indicate that this way of looking at humans is incorrect—perhaps humans can even communicate！ I wish this book and its companion volume got more attention in our library。 It is well-written， exciting， and thought-provoking。 It contains scenes of intensity as well as beauty。 There’s also an open-ended conclusion that will have readers hoping for a sequel。 。。。more
joanna
，
Such a sweet and informative story。 I have always been an orca lover， I mean I LOVE them and have always felt a strong connection to this beautiful animal。 I knew I had to pick this up， just to fill my heart with something sweet。 I loved feeling like I was there in the midst of the pod， finding my way back home。 As an animal lover， I will pick up and try ‘A Wolf called Wander’。
Eli
，
I really enjoyed this book and even learned some facts about Orca’s I didn’t already know。 The story is told from the perspective of two young Orca siblings who narrate alternating chapters。 I really enjoyed how Parry imagined Orca words for familiar things。 There is just enough variance to make it seem magical and real without being confusing。 The story is extremely topical and addresses current issues Orcas are experiencing， Salmon shortage， Pollution， noise and environmental。 It’s a fun and i I really enjoyed this book and even learned some facts about Orca’s I didn’t already know。 The story is told from the perspective of two young Orca siblings who narrate alternating chapters。 I really enjoyed how Parry imagined Orca words for familiar things。 There is just enough variance to make it seem magical and real without being confusing。 The story is extremely topical and addresses current issues Orcas are experiencing， Salmon shortage， Pollution， noise and environmental。 It’s a fun and interesting read。 I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning about these magnificent animals or those who like myself already love them。 。。。more
Jerrie
，
I had very explicit sexual encounters with her brother and his twin sister one fine wednesday afternoon。 He did try to pee in me but when i said i wasn’t into it he respected my boundaries however his penis was small so their for i shall give this book a one star。 better luck next time bud！
madame Gabrielle
，
4。5 étoiles （j’écrirai mon appréciation ici demain 🤩🤍）
Megan Harma
，
I thought this book was very beautiful， how the life and personalities of orcas shone through in this story。 I thoroughly enjoyed the love and the family tight knit。 I am glad the author Parry， included educational information about the Salish sea and its creatures。 I am glad to be made aware of the devastation of salmon numbers。 I choose not eat fish cuz I belive it’s humans over fish and unethically。 But It encourages me that there is hope in this book for the future of the orcas and ocean and I thought this book was very beautiful， how the life and personalities of orcas shone through in this story。 I thoroughly enjoyed the love and the family tight knit。 I am glad the author Parry， included educational information about the Salish sea and its creatures。 I am glad to be made aware of the devastation of salmon numbers。 I choose not eat fish cuz I belive it’s humans over fish and unethically。 But It encourages me that there is hope in this book for the future of the orcas and ocean and us。 We can change our behaviors to help change the world around us， Parry says。 I remember the line when Vega said they are the superior creatures of the ocean。 Nothing hunts the orcas。 Same with us humans pretty much。 I love the good the humans did to help the orcas with clearing the dam in this book。 It gave me hope。 And it was so cute how little Deneb and Altair helped the humans out too。 In the end of the book， I love how the illustrator encouraged readers a like to have a sketchbook and pencil ready in hand to draw the world around you; It can be a great tool while learning and knowing our environment and ecosystem better。 Beautiful language and heartfelt book！ A love for orcas and life all around。 。。。more
Michelle
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I loved this view from an Orca Whale and her extended family。 The author did extensive research and you feel like you are in the ocean with her especially because of the gorgeous illustrations。
Anne
，
A Whale of the Wild was not the book I originally expected。 There was so much I learned about orca whales throughout this story because of the amount of science incorporated into it。 They story was filled with both sadness and hope。 The realistic journey the orcas went on continuously kept my attention。 I often felt on edge waiting for the next tragedy or problem they would face。 An interesting and engaging read to add to upper elementary and middle school libraries。
Reagan Nichole
，
4。5 stars。 I love Roseanne Parry's writing。 With her unique style， vivid imagery， and poetic voice she transports readers into the ocean， to see through the eyes of the Orcas and swim through the Salish Sea。 The layers of facts about nature and the environment， drama and tragedy， and tenderness and familial love， create an engaging balance and had the whole family invested and waiting for the next chapter。 Especially meaningful to hear about places we went this summer - Lime Kiln， Deception Pass 4。5 stars。 I love Roseanne Parry's writing。 With her unique style， vivid imagery， and poetic voice she transports readers into the ocean， to see through the eyes of the Orcas and swim through the Salish Sea。 The layers of facts about nature and the environment， drama and tragedy， and tenderness and familial love， create an engaging balance and had the whole family invested and waiting for the next chapter。 Especially meaningful to hear about places we went this summer - Lime Kiln， Deception Pass， etc and learn about their significance to resident whale pods- summer gathering places， salmon feeding grounds， and places where orca were killed and captured in the past。 Extremely moving story， and although it is listed as a YA book and the vocabulary and story is approachable to middle grade readers， it will appeal to adults as well。 。。。more
Alison
，
We listened to this on a long drive， on my youngest’s recommendation。 It’s a bit drawn out and overdramatic， but overall very sweet and lightly funny and interesting。 It’s a 3。5 star honestly， but bumped it up to 4 rather than rounded it down to 3。
Kristen
，
I'm not always a big fan of animals-as-narrators （unless we're talking Katherine Applegate）， but this one was quite enjoyable。 The writing is beautiful， as are the illustrations。 There is the perfect balance of emotion and action， heartache and triumph。 Vega and her younger brother become separated from their pod after tragedy strikes and Vega is unable to deal with her anger and sadness。 They discover many other orcas on their journey through the ocean， and learn quite a bit about other creatur I'm not always a big fan of animals-as-narrators （unless we're talking Katherine Applegate）， but this one was quite enjoyable。 The writing is beautiful， as are the illustrations。 There is the perfect balance of emotion and action， heartache and triumph。 Vega and her younger brother become separated from their pod after tragedy strikes and Vega is unable to deal with her anger and sadness。 They discover many other orcas on their journey through the ocean， and learn quite a bit about other creatures， as well。I adore the young orcas' observations regarding humans， and I loved seeing the gentle way they interact with people in distress when humans have done so much to endanger Vega and her family。Great for young readers， animal lovers， and anyone who cares about the environment and the creatures in it。 。。。more
Olivia
，
A great book that really shows everything from the eyes of an orca。 And orcas are as smart as humans！ Check out National Geographic's articles featured in the May 2021 issue for more confirmation。But wow， what an ending！ We did NOT figure it out。 A great book that really shows everything from the eyes of an orca。 And orcas are as smart as humans！ Check out National Geographic's articles featured in the May 2021 issue for more confirmation。But wow， what an ending！ We did NOT figure it out。 。。。more
Silas Negrón
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A splendid novel！ It has humor， sadness， and wonder all in it， which makes a perfect book！ I hope another one comes！
Catherine Fitzsimmons
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An interesting and entertaining story。 The simplistic writing style worked for the characters， though it wasn't quite as gripping as some books I've read。 A quick， enjoyable read， liked the information in it and research that went into it， and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous。 An interesting and entertaining story。 The simplistic writing style worked for the characters， though it wasn't quite as gripping as some books I've read。 A quick， enjoyable read， liked the information in it and research that went into it， and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous。 。。。more
BabyBookwormAlumna024
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I loved this book！ I young， spirited orca whale named Vega’s sister becomes lost to darkness， and she and her beloved little beloved little brother， Deneb， journey across the beautiful， deep blue Salish Sea in search of their lively pod。In this book， you learn the importance of patience， family， appreciation， virtue， and my favorite; acceptance， when Vega needed to let her young sister go， even if it may be the most difficult thing she ever did… Gorgeous novel。
Jovi Ene
，
A doua carte din seria celor semnate de Rosanne Parry este la fel de interesantă precum prima， ba chiar se pare că autoarea a evoluat față de prima carte， construind o lume mai complexă despre niște animale mai puțin cercetate și care nu sunt monitorizate la fel de bine precum lupii din primul volum。 Aici în centru se află oricile， numite și balene ucigașe， animale care trăiesc în mici comunități， în apropierea țărmului Americii de Nord， vânând în familii mai ales somonii care vin să depoziteze A doua carte din seria celor semnate de Rosanne Parry este la fel de interesantă precum prima， ba chiar se pare că autoarea a evoluat față de prima carte， construind o lume mai complexă despre niște animale mai puțin cercetate și care nu sunt monitorizate la fel de bine precum lupii din primul volum。 Aici în centru se află oricile， numite și balene ucigașe， animale care trăiesc în mici comunități， în apropierea țărmului Americii de Nord， vânând în familii mai ales somonii care vin să depoziteze icrele pe râurile repezi din Canada sau SUA。 Dar lumea lor e în schimbare， iar pescuitul excesiv al somonilor le îngreunează viața， fiind în pericol de dispariție。Pentru cele două personaje principale din acest volum， Vega și Deneb （autoarea le oferă alternativ vocea naratorului）， abia ieșiți din copilărie， viața e și mai grea: un cutremur urmat de mai multe valuri de tsunami le distruge lumea și îi îndepărtează de părinți。 Vor reuși ei să revină în cadrul familiei și chiar să supraviețuiască？ Rezultă un roman pentru copii și adolescenți foarte alert și plin de suspans， în care ne este descrisă cu multe amănunte viața unor animale despre care e necesar să aflăm mai multe。 Adăugăm la asta， ca și la cartea precedentă， mai multe pagini， la final， din care aflăm informații științifice， documentate， despre flora și fauna zonei din preajma Mării Salish。 。。。more
Victoria Whipple
，
Vega and her brother Deneb are orcas living in the Salish Sea in the northern Pacific Ocean。 This novel follows them and their pod in their quest for survival。 Changes in the natural world have affected their food supply， but not to the point of crisis。 That comes with a rare natural event that splits up the pod and forces them to face challenges they could not have imagined。 Parry has created an orca family and portrayed their day to day lives in an engrossing and enchanting story。 Backmatter e Vega and her brother Deneb are orcas living in the Salish Sea in the northern Pacific Ocean。 This novel follows them and their pod in their quest for survival。 Changes in the natural world have affected their food supply， but not to the point of crisis。 That comes with a rare natural event that splits up the pod and forces them to face challenges they could not have imagined。 Parry has created an orca family and portrayed their day to day lives in an engrossing and enchanting story。 Backmatter explains the orcas that inspired this novel as well as other animals that share the habitat， as well as information for what actions readers can take to help animals like orcas， starting in their own community。 Highly recommended gr。 3-8 。。。more
Diane
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“I feel stronger and braver when we are together。”Vega is 44 seasons and is training to be a wayfinder like her mother and her great mother。 In a whale pod， wayfinders lead the other whales in search of food and safety。 “They will go where their hearts and their memories tell them to go。” But she is young and unsure of her abilities， especially when Aquila， her know-it-all cousin in around。 Aquila is also a wayfinder， but she is a mother first。 When Vega and her little brother， Deneb， only 20 se “I feel stronger and braver when we are together。”Vega is 44 seasons and is training to be a wayfinder like her mother and her great mother。 In a whale pod， wayfinders lead the other whales in search of food and safety。 “They will go where their hearts and their memories tell them to go。” But she is young and unsure of her abilities， especially when Aquila， her know-it-all cousin in around。 Aquila is also a wayfinder， but she is a mother first。 When Vega and her little brother， Deneb， only 20 seasons old get separated from the pod， it is Vega’s task to help them not only find food， but find their way back to their pod。 There are many challenges along the way。 They have difficulty finding food and find that “A little together is more than a feast alone。” There are other whales that they encounter along the way， as well， that could be potentially dangerous to them。 At a most desperate moment， they encounter a plethora of salmon， far more than there should be and Vega realizes there is something wrong。 For some reason the salmon can’t get upstream。 While the other whales gorge， she realizes that she must get those salmon on their way。 “If you eat everything， you make a wasteland of the sea。”The author has created a beautiful story about community and the need to respect the delicate balance of the ecosystem。 She includes her research in the back of the book， as well as some resources。 I think students will be drawn to this book。 。。。more
Doni
，
This was such a wonderful story。I really hope the wolf that was in one of the Illustrations was Wander。 I love all the really interesting facts at the end of the book as well。 Let’s hope the Wales and all the Marine wildlife in the Salish sea and all around world will all be protected someday and we’ll all do our part in protecting Mother Earth。 I hope you do more books like Wanders & Vegas story。 The Illustrations are Wonderful as well I think everyone of every age group would love the story。
Luzenskets
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Follows a young whale and her pod in the Salish Sea。 Deals with history and current environmental issues surrounding the survival of orca whales。
WaferBiscuits
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I was really pleasantly surprised by this。 I’m always leery of YA animal fiction like this for potentially becoming patronizing or sugar coating - but this doesn’t do that at all。 Gorgeous illustrations as well。 I’ll definitely check out the author’s other works！ This was a good palette cleanser
Taylor
，
I love this book so much it is such a heartwarming middle grade the adventures that go on are such incredible things to read and experience。 Highly recommend。
Shia
，
I’m obsessed with orcas and this POV from their perspective really opened my eyes to how complex these creatures really our and how family plays such a pivotal role in their lives。
Lyla
，
This book was amazing， though it took a bit to get into。 It was really good， and now I like orcas even more。
Kathryn
，
Wow， this was an emotional tour de force for me！ I’ve always been interested in whales and love the Pacific NW （I’ve visited the areas where this story takes place） and that， along with the enthusiastic recommendation of a GoodReads friend （thanks， Abigail！） made me feel I would enjoy this。 Yet， I wasn’t expecting to be quite so deeply touched。 Parry skillfully mixes exciting drama with tender moments， weaving in fascinating information about orcas and marine life in the Salish Sea with special Wow， this was an emotional tour de force for me！ I’ve always been interested in whales and love the Pacific NW （I’ve visited the areas where this story takes place） and that， along with the enthusiastic recommendation of a GoodReads friend （thanks， Abigail！） made me feel I would enjoy this。 Yet， I wasn’t expecting to be quite so deeply touched。 Parry skillfully mixes exciting drama with tender moments， weaving in fascinating information about orcas and marine life in the Salish Sea with special emphasis on the threats they face due to pollution （both noise pollution and chemical pollution）。 Told from the perspective of the orcas， we alternate POVs between Vega （a young female orca on the cusp of becoming a wayfinder like the matriarchs but who still has much to learn） and her little brother Daneb （who wishes to be strong and brave like his uncle but is still full of youthful energy and fun）。 Two tragic events force them to rely on one another and their own emerging strengths and wisdom to survive apart from the pod。 Though it’s been almost a month since I finished this， each event in the story still feels very vivid to me。 Do note that I urge caution for sensitive readers， particularly those who are sensitive about animal welfare， as the book has several tragedies that were very hard for me to read about。 including the stillbirth of Vega’s baby sister， the ongoing fear of hunger-induced dementia among the whales， and the haunting reminiscences of the time Vega’s aunt and cousins were stolen by humans （I think we are to assume for the entertainment industry） and the massive earthquake and tsunami that destroy much of the coastline （mention is made of the destruction to human buildings， as well， bridges collapse， cars floating in the water…） This is a middle grade novel， and the lead characters being animals might make one think it is for younger kids， but I think I would recommend it for ages ten and up （and even then with some caution for sensitive readers）。The world and voice of the whales feels fully realized and the way they perceive humans and their boats， etc。 felt very believable。 I learned so much about orcas such as how different pods （even in the same general geographic region） speak different dialects and can’t really understand one another and how they have each specialized to hunt only certain types of prey （Vega and Daneb hunt salmon， so the main focus is on how the waning salmon population is causing them to go hungry and also causing fertility issues and stillbirths causing still greater challenges to the orca population）。 While often heartbreaking， the final message is one of hope and I appreciate that humans aren’t entirely villainized and are shown as culpable for some of the tragedies yet also victims of another （view spoiler）[the massive earthquake and tsunami that wipes out much of the coast （hide spoiler）] The end was deeply touching， showing how we are all connected and that we can affect one another for better or for worse。 On the one hand， I was a bit surprised at the final chapter as it did not resolve a certain plot point， yet， upon reflection， I feel that it was actually the perfect ending， not impossibly happy-ever-after yet also filled with strength and appropriate hopefulness。I urged my husband to read this and he also enjoyed it。 It’s worth noting that he started with the audiobook and was not at all a fan。 Without the chapter header illustrations of the dorsal fins to denote weather the chapter was from Vega’s or Daneb’s perspective， he often found it very confusing and he felt that reading the paper copy was much more enjoyable （he switched about 1/3 of the way through）。 We both feel the illustrations enhance the overall effect， too。 He especially appreciated how the Native Americans were shown to be champions of the wildlife and， particularly， the salmon。 In his work as an environmental biologist， he knows firsthand that many of the important studies being done on salmon are headed by Native tribes here in Idaho and Washington State。 While the story itself hovered between four and five stars， for me， I’m giving the book as a whole a solid five stars because of the excellent backmatter that has further details about the Salish Sea and its inhabitants （including the various sea creatures that Vega and Daneb meet on their adventures） and， of course， special focus on the orcas。 The message of environmental stewardship is one of the best I’ve ever seen as it conveys both a deep urgency and a sense of hope。 She uses the example of how she never saw an eagle when she was a little girl， but with awareness and the ban of DDT， raptor populations have made a comeback。 As Perry noted， “Every problem facing our orcas in the Salish Sea has a solution。 Some are already being put into place。 Older ferries are being replaced by cleaner， quieter electric ferries。 The Elwha was once a dead river， but dams have been removed and salmon are now spawning in that river again。 New rules have forced boats to go slowly when whales are present， so that they don’t make as much noise。 The Lumni Nation has used its treaty-protected fishing rights to prevent the largest coal terminal in North America from being placed in the Salish Sea。 Our oceans are on the front line of the war against global warming。 Restoring our planet and reversing climate change will be the fight of our lives。 I am inspired every day by the activism of my young readers。 I’m confident that together we can heal our world and all its waters。” （She includes some resources to help get started。） A wonderful， important book！ 。。。more
Stephanie
，
This was a moving and very educational book perfect for kids ages 8-12 who are animal lovers。 Beautiful illustrations， a great story as well as a non-fiction section at the end which was very informative。
Erin
，
My favorite way to learn something is through story。 I enjoyed learning about orcas in the Salish Sea。 Thank you for sharing an ARC with #bookposse！
Destiny
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is a cute book told from the perspective of two different members of a whale family。 They deal with the struggles of the human world， even when they aren't entirely sure what to think of humans。 What they DO know about humans is that they are dumping poison into the ocean， and that's just one of the many truths the whales have to live with。。。 one of the things they simply cannot change。 The story is cute， but also heart-wrenching。 It deals with real-world issues such as pollution， stillborn This is a cute book told from the perspective of two different members of a whale family。 They deal with the struggles of the human world， even when they aren't entirely sure what to think of humans。 What they DO know about humans is that they are dumping poison into the ocean， and that's just one of the many truths the whales have to live with。。。 one of the things they simply cannot change。 The story is cute， but also heart-wrenching。 It deals with real-world issues such as pollution， stillborn babies， tsunamis， and starvation。 The whales sacrifice a lot for their family in this book， and the story does not necessarily end in the happiest way。 The ending can be seen as hopeful， in some ways， but there is still a lot up in the air。 Everything is unsure， at the end， but that doesn't make it a bad book。 。。。more
Kat
，
This was such a cute little book。 As someone whos always loved orcas this was such a perfect little read。 I would have loved it as a kid and i love it now as an adult。 There can be dangers to humanizing an animal so much but I think its a cute way to spread awareness about the plight of the Southern Residents。 The author did an incredible job putting information together and fact checking everything。 And the artists depictions were perfect and a perfect add to the story。
Joy
，
Loved this local story about orcas in the Salish sea。 I really enjoyed how the author presented gender in the story as orcas are matriarchal。 The steadfast courage of little Deneb was sweet and touching with his wonderful refrain to his sister， “I am right beside you。” And the wealth of facts at the end really put this book into 5 stars for me！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Whale of the Wild
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Whale of the Wild&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Whale of the Wild&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0