In One Whale's Breath

Join a whale below the waves and learn about the wonders of breathing.

What can happen during one whale’s breath? Here, readers find out by traveling along with a humpback whale from inhale to exhale. An evocative poem – written as one long sentence without pauses to mirror the whale’s breath – describes the activities of all the sea creatures the whale passes, focusing on the way each one breathes. Fascinating facts about their breathing are presented separately in straightforward sidebars. It’s a wondrous journey, sure to captivate readers, as they discover how important oxygen is to most living things – under and above the sea – and how we all benefit from sharing it.

This beautiful informational picture book takes an innovative approach to a topic with high appeal. Award-winning author Jessica Kulekjian has crafted a lyrical tale of life under the sea backed up with accessible and expert-vetted science about how creatures breathe. It covers how long creatures can go between breaths, whether they breathe air using their lungs or breathe in water using their gills, and the interdependence of different species for their oxygen. Life-forms included range from sardines and sharks to crabs and kelp, as well as humans and seagulls. Cinyee Chiu’s lush, color-drenched illustrations provide a delightful whale’s-eye view of a marine ecosystem. The book has strong curriculum connections to primary life science and earth science lessons. Back matter provides more information and further resources.