In 2013, a children’s picture book became a worldwide bestseller and winner of the inaugural Oscar’s First Book Prize. That book was The Storm Whale, a tale of friendship between a boy and a whale. Now, 10 years later, the fourth book in the series, The Great Storm Whale, continues the story of Noi who lives with his dad and six cats by the sea and his friendship with a whale.
The Great Storm Wale, written and illustrated by Benji Davies, still sees Noi living with his dad and six cats by the sea, but this time Grandma is coming to visit. But along with Grandma also comes a storm. Whilst the storm blows, Grandma tells Noi a story of another great storm, an unforgettable friendship between a little girl and a whale, many storms ago. A story of friendship that spans the generations. A story not too dissimilar to Noi’s own story about how he and his dad saved young whale from a storm.
With Autumn storms approaching and the wind howling, Noi was having trouble sleeping. To calm Noi down, Grandma tells him the story of a young girl who lived on an island and had a friend that was a whale. Every summer she would play a wooden flute and the whale would come back to visit her, until one year it didn’t. She waited and waited but it never came back. Then a great storm hit the island and she and her family to move, losing all their possessions in the process – including her wooden flute. Settled on a new island, things started to wash up on the beach, things that looked familiar – cups and plates, pieces of wood and her wooden flute! Her friend the whale and its family had found the debris and possessions and brought them to her on the new island! From the pieces, the little girl’s family built a new wooden house by the sea from the old pieces thanks to the friendship of the whale.
Overall, The Great Storm Whale is a very beautiful, heartwarming and captivating story about friendship, loneliness and unbreakable bonds that last a lifetime and spans the generations.
The story is excellent, one of friendship, love and nature. It tells the story of a great storm a long time ago and joins it together with Noi’s own story, bringing the series of books together perfectly.
Whilst it is a mesmerising story that children will adore, the artwork and illustrations on every page really bring the story to life. The illustrations are mostly vivid and bright and expertly help to tell the tale (and you can even look for the six cats on the beach).
The book has been written and illustrated by Benji Davies, a children’s picture book writer and artist. The story and illustrations are splendid, and a work of art. Children will love having this read to them at bedtime and enjoy reading it themselves. The text is of a good size with a easy to read font and the illustrations that help portray the story are just fantastic.
The Great Storm Whale is a charming tale of friendship and how good friends will always be there for you, even if not around all the time.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit benjidavies.squarespace.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
