CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall
CCBC Review:
“She drifts slowly. The late afternoon sunlight slants through the rippled water overhead and streams down the skin on her back.” “She” is a blue whale, earth’s largest animal. “Her years are told in her ears,” where layers of wax mark her age like the rings of a tree trunk. This whale is old, and when she dies, her body begins to transform, first bloating, and then, as the gases escape, drifting down to land on the seabed. There, her body begins to break down, providing nourishment and shelter across decades. After 150 years, there are still parts of her skeleton harboring organisms and other sea life. This fascinating book conveys the science and beauty of this cycle through lyrical text and dramatic watercolor and gouache illustrations capturing the grace of the blue whale in life, and the details of its transformation in death over time. Print and online resources are provided at book’s end. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Jason Chin
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Informational)
Change
Death and Dying
Ecosystems
Passage of Time
On CCBC Booklists:
Literary Science 1: K-5 Mentor Texts
Picture Books for Older Children and Teens: Never Too Old
Publishers:
Holiday House, Neal Porter Books
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 48
ISBN: 9780823452286
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 577 Brunelle
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.