Every day, in a house by the sea, a little boy watches his father leave for a long day's work. One night, a great storm washes a small whale onto the beach. The boy discovers the whale is a good listener. The father discovers the boy is lonely. Together, they return the whale to the sea. And from that day on, the boy learns that the father can be a good listener too, in Benji Davies's heartwarming tale, The Storm Whale. K-Gr 2—Noi lives by the sea with his father and six cats. His dad leaves early for work on his fishing boat and doesn't return until dark. Noi appears to be around six and is extremely lonely until the day he finds a small beached whale. Instead of trying to return it to the water, Noi hefts it into his wagon and puts it in his bathtub. He plays music for it and tells it stories. When his father returns, he discovers the whale, and together they return it to the sea. The man realizes how lonely his son has been, and on last pages, they are seen having a picnic together. The story will be confusing to the target audience. It would appear that the whale is an imaginary friend that Noi has conjured up to stave off his loneliness. Obviously, he would be physically incapable of moving a whale, no matter how small. However, if that's the case, it makes no sense that a father would take a small boy out on at night in a rowboat on choppy seas. The illustrations appear to be watercolor and have some of the charming details found in the work of Barbara Cooney, but this is an additional purchase.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ “A quietly affecting and visually striking book.” ― The Horn Book “A gentle, atmospheric father and son tale, this will draw kids who appreciate a touch of mysticism and the parent-kid adventure.” ― BCCB “Charming.” ― School Library Journal “*This imaginative, offbeat and original tale, lightly dusted with believable magic, perfectly captures a generous child's loyalty and dedication and ends with comfort and subtlety . . . A selection children will embrace and come back to time and time again.” ― Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW “Deeply empathic storytelling is matched by crisp, evocative scenes of coastal life, from the ramshackle, weathered home where Noi and his father live to the endless expanse of the ocean at night.” ― Publisher's Weekly, STARRED REVIEW Benji Davies is the author and illustrator of The Storm Whale . As a child, he was often found painting at the kitchen table . . . a habit he has continued into adulthood. He lives in London with his wife, Nina.