With a long list of activities and events to attend, cousin Thomas paints a picture of city life that makes Jessie’s world seem a little dull in comparison. When her mother suggests they invite Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades.
But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones in tide pools and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing.
This reissue of Jessie’s Island, which was originally published over twenty years ago, will introduce a whole new generation of children to the joy of unstructured play and the pleasures to be found in the natural world.
In this timeless classic set on the West Coast, an old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea, tends his garden and waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. One day his daughter and her baby return home to live with the old man, bringing a renewed sense of purpose to his life. As his granddaughter grows, the old man passes on a wealth of knowledge and wisdom as well as his passion for the whales. And each year they wait together for the whales to appear.
Waiting for the Whales illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child and celebrates the restorative power of the natural world. Originally published twenty-five years ago, this award-winning picture book is sure to enchant a whole new generation of readers.
