Show Us Where You Live, Humpback

A young child stands on the shore of the southern bay, holding her mother’s hand while beneath them, in the deep ocean waters, a humpback whale swims with her newborn calf. Through lyrical prose and exquisite illustrations, Show Us Where You Live, Humpback, explores the connections children make between their lives and the world around them. Beryl Young’s hopeful story about growing up also explores the bond between mother and child as the young child observes the whale and her calf swim, play, and sing together. Throughout the story, the young child recognizes she, too, learns new things with the guidance of a loving parent, much like the humpback, encouraging and nurturing.

Employing a call-and-response format, this picture book is an ideal read aloud for young readers. The book’s simple storyline and its use of lyrical, poetic language and simple sentence structures with a range of punctuation make it appropriate for beginner readers. The story is simple enough for young children to access the meaning, and there are many opportunities within the story for them to make connections to their own lives.

Young children will be captivated by Sakika Kikuchi’s beautiful illustrations which reflect the size and details of the whales. Using a muted palette of blues and greens, Kikuchi’s illustrations capture the colours of the whales and the depths of the ocean while also mimicking the lyrical, soothing tones of the text, enhancing the story and providing support to the young reader. The illustrations both retell the story and provide a calming effect on the reading experience.

Through language and art that perfectly echoes the soothing sway of the ocean’s waves, Show Us Where You Live, Humpback, is a delightful picture book which tells the story of the connections children share with whales. Young readers intrigued by these marine mammals will be delighted by the factual information contained at the back of the book which describes the humpback’s life span, migration patterns, and size.