Orca Rescue! is a delightful, educational book with gorgeous illustrations. It follows the story of an orphan Orca calf, named Springer, who is rescued by scientists and researchers in 2002. It is discovered that her family actually lived 400 miles away, and so a community effort is launched to nurture the malnourished Orca calf and return her to her pod.
This captivating story is retold with passion and commitment, and there are facts and information about Orcas and their societies, lifestyle, and so on woven throughout. The more factual segments do not detract from the story but rather add to it, and I loved reading about the history of Orcas in the Pacific Northwest of America and Canada, despite knowing much of the detail already.
This was a quick and informative read which was also highly entertaining. I loved the illustrations and, despite the poignancy of the undetermined future surrounding Orcas in this part of the world, there were themes of hope, commitment, and joy underlying the challenges faced by the author and the rescue team. Highly, highly recommended.
Orca Rescue!: The True Story of an Orphaned Orca Named Springer
Donna Sandstrom, illustrated by Sarah Burwash
Kids Can Press, October 2021
ISBN: 978-1525301179
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Kids Can Press, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
