Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Starred Review Just as she did with A Wolf Called Wander (2019), Parry creates a spellbinding, heart-stopping adventure for middle-grade readers is time about a pod of orca whales and their plight in today's Salish Sea. The hungry pod travels toward the mouth of a river awaiting the salmon, but this year, the fish are late. Readers are instantly plunged into the close-knit pod as its members work together and share stories and knowledge with younger generations. Vega, the future "wayfinder" of her pod, and her younger brother, Deneb, must remember all the lessons they can after a powerful earthquake and tsunami separate the young orcas from their pod. Vega and Deneb alternate the tale's narration, giving first-person accounts of their harrowing journey to find their family and their encounters (some frightening, others encouraging) with other sea creatures and humans. Parry's thorough research, observation, and creative writing combine to share the marvelous matriarchal familial world of orcas, the negative impacts of ocean and noise pollution, and threats posed by ships and humans. Her descriptive narrative rises in intensity to match each new danger and resolves with a bittersweet yet hopeful finish. Vega's tenacious spirit and intelligence will turn readers into steadfast companions on her unforgettable journey. Black-and-white illustrations and informative back matter on orcas and their environment enhance an already excellent book.

Horn Book

The whale of the title could apply to either of two narrators. Vega, a late-adolescent orca whale, is just coming into her own as a wayfinder. The alternating voice is that of her younger and impulsive brother Deneb. Their family is part of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Community that lives in the Salish Sea, an area of stunning ecological richness and diversity in the Pacific Northwest. The community is threatened by water pollution, noise pollution, climate change, and reduced populations of Chinook salmon. When there's an earthquake with its resulting tsunami, Vega and Deneb become separated from their pod. Parry (A Wolf Called Wander) presents orca life convincingly, using fresh language. Tides are Push and Pull. Directions are warmward and coldward. Echolocation is click-stream. Connection between family members is maintained by the repeated reassurance, "I'm beside you," a refrain that becomes increasingly heartbreaking as the characters try to deal with the fracturing of their world. The story contains gracefully integrated information on such varied topics as the eel ("all teeth and patience") and the poison taste of an oil spill, without ever losing narrative momentum or emotional drive. Back matter gives clear explanations of terms (krill are "pink, opaque, and the size and weight of a paper clip"), suggestions for further reading, and practical tips for young readers on how to help save this precious environment. Detailed black-and-white illustrations beautifully support a powerful portrait of nature under threat.

Kirkus Reviews

After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.Vega's matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega's underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author's note, artist's note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 3-7 Vega is a young orca whale being trained by her mother to one day be the group's Wayfinderthe whale who navigates their extended family toward food and away from danger. Vega is reckless and impulsive, but when she and her young cousin are separated from the pod by an earthquake and the resulting tsunami, Vega must use her wayfinding skills to reunite them with their elders. In the style of A Wolf Called Wander , Parry tells the story through the animal voices of both Vega and Deneb, weaving a great deal of information about orcas and their habits (and the negative effects that both humans and climate change are having on the orca population) into the narrative. The back matter contains resources for those interested in learning more. VERDICT Purchase where animal adventure stories are in demand. Elizabeth Friend, Wester M.S., TX