Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Starred Review Turk's compelling picture book begins with a blue whale cow that soon gives birth to a calf, drawn in red. "One heart beats. Two hearts beat. heartbeat . . . heartbeat . . . Two hearts, one song." The whale and her calf, each illustrated with a visible red heart, live in a colorful blue ocean, and their song is depicted in swirls of red, yellow, and blue threads. Mother and baby swim together and sing together until sharp, white harpoons put an end to the older whale's song and heartbeat, leaving the calf alone in the vast ocean. After the cow is killed, the illustrations change to black-and-white. One hundred years pass, and it is a human child who feels a connection and shows compassion for the plight of the whale. She and others begin to understand we have "one planet, one responsibility" to protect our earth and living creatures. Charcoal and pastels on black paper, collage, and tracing paper combine to produce forceful images. In an author's note, Turk explains his compelling reasons for creating his powerful message: a symbolic trip aboard the last wooden whaleship in 2014 opened his eyes to the reality of the whaling industry and the turbulent relationship between humans and whales. Here, instead, he offers up a message of peace.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

After a young whale's mother is killed by a whaler, it swims around forlornly for years, until a girl on a ship's deck hears its song. Many kids (and some adults) will be confounded by this story, which is told through minimal, fragmentary text; the dark, symbolism-heavy art is similarly hard to crack. The light-shedding author's note is indispensable.

Kirkus Reviews

In this artistically rendered picture book, a whale lives through 200 years of human history, taking readers from the brutal whaling industry to activism for harmony with the ocean and its creatures.Deep purple and red hues in soft pastel and charcoal set the tone for an emotional journey in this latest work by Turk (The Storyteller, 2016, etc.). Beginning with a red glowing spot and purple background and the words "heart… / beat," one heartbeat inside a whale becomes two heartbeats when the whale becomes pregnant. After she gives birth, the whale calf and its mother breathe "one song" into "one ocean." Their harmony is cut off when straight, sharp white shapes and lines intrude upon the page. Colors give way to black and white as heartbeats stagger, and the whale calf is left alone, "one heart, one song." Whale-shaped lamps are lit, machines are oiled, which knowledgeable readers can connect to the use of whale oil. Time passes, often violently. Finally, the story comes full circle as a concerned girl with afro puffs looks out from a boat with concern and joins the whale's song. Many voices join in, until the soft red and purple pastels return, along with the text "One world, one song, one heartbeat." The illustrations are evocative and emotional, although caregivers will likely need to help younger readers with the abstract storytelling.A memorable journey for sophisticated readers. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Turk (The Storyteller) creates an achingly poignant tribute to the beauty and dignity of whales. In powerful pastel spreads of intense red, brilliant blue, and deep, oceanic black, Turk shows a mother whale with a yet-to-be-born baby visible inside her: -One heart beats. Two hearts beat.- Once born, the baby and the mother sing together, their song rendered as clouds flowing from their mouths. Then a harpoon-s barb slashes across the page to find the mother, and the baby-s heart beats on without hers in panels of mournful gray. The young whale spends decades alone as its brethren are slaughtered for their oil, which is burned for illumination around the world. Fast forward to the present: a small girl with two pigtails leans from the bow of a boat, hears the lonely whale-s song, and sings with it. Turk-s impactful artwork reinforces the powerful, easily graspable metaphor of the heartbeat, representing the unity of human and animal life. The more complex message about the commodification of ocean life, detailed in an appended note, will require careful context setting and explanation. Ages 4-8. (June)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 2-5 Turk employs an extended metaphor of shared heartbeats among living beings to demonstrate that we are all a part of the same world. Using pastel and charcoal on black paper, Turk introduces a whale and her calf, whose heartbeats are in sync and swim through a blurring symphony of sound. Jagged white harpoons disrupt this harmony, striking the mother whale like lightning and shattering their connection. She is hauled aboard a whaling vessel and the calf, who is no longer vibrant but a pale ghost of herself, now has a hole where once her heart beat. The artwork becomes stark as collage cutouts depict the human world and how it uses the parts of a whale. From lamp oil to machine lubricant, the ghost calf swims through the very worst of human atrocities for 100 years. It's only in the present, when a young girl sings out to the now adult whale, that she discovers her song and heartbeat again. As other people sing along with the young girl, joining the whale, the connection between all our heartbeats lends an air of hope. An author's note provides a thorough summary explaining vital historical details regarding the whaling industry and inspiration for writing this book. Without this note, many readers may be confused since Turk's writing is more lyrical than informational. This is a high-concept book and will work best when an adult shares in the reading experience with a child. VERDICT A beautiful and poignant piece about humanity's past and future, this is best suited for perceptive readers with a passion for the environment. Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI