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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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic
CCBC Review:
“You are a narwhal—shy, swift, small (for a whale).” Full of sensory detail, this narrative focusing on the life and activities of the “unicorn of the Arctic” begins on a “biting-cold December day,” in the dark of the Arctic, as “you,” a male narwhal, clash your tusk with that of another male. “Clackety-clack! … Are you playing? Fighting? Showing off for a female?” Onomatopoeia is used effectively throughout: “Pshhht! … Ahhhh!” as narwhals surface for air; the “Tik-tik-tik-tik” of their echolocation. In summer, the narwhals migrate, some birthing calves along the way. There are threats: predatory orcas and dwindling food. The pod becomes trapped in an inlet when the surface freezes over; they swim “around and around, clicking and whistling. There’s no way out. No place to breathe.” They use their heads to break through, only to attract the attention of a hungry polar bear on the surface. These moments of drama bring realistic tension and urgency to an otherwise poetic account of the daily and seasonal rhythms of narwhal life. Immersive illustrations full of deep, sweeping blues and greens provide a mix of realistic details (sea lice on a narwhal tusk, spotted narwhal bodies) and awe-inspiring scenes (the glow of the Northern Lights, stars that “sparkle like ice chips”). Additional information is included at volume’s end. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Deena So'Oteh
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Informational)
Climate Change
Migration
On CCBC Booklist:
Literary Science 1: K-5 Mentor Texts
Publisher:
Anne Schwartz Book
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 48
ISBN: 978059337778
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Fleming
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