Whale, That Was Unexpected is a seriously fun picture book collaboration between author Casey Lyall (Vampire Jam Sandwich) and illustrator Kathryn Durst (Polite Predators series) that features an eccentric, white-haired mariner who, with her loyal canine sidekick, faces down a whale of a situation with fourth-wall-breaking, unflappably dry wit.
Every day, for "many, many, MANY" years, crusty fisherwoman Maude and her scruffy dog, Claude (both clad in bright yellow waterproof garments), take "enough snacks for two" and head out to sea. Maude is pretty sure she's seen everything, until... "Wait. What?" Her "trusty little boat" is swallowed by a whale! So, Maude does the only sensible thing: she throws a goodbye party. Maude insists that the book's narrator "do the honors" and offer some final words, but apparently "Farewell, Maude" and "Farewell, Claude" will not do. "Can't you fancy it up a bit?" Maude protests. The narrator tries again: "Farewell, Maude, a grand old dame. Farewell, Claude, sixth of his name." Sailor and dog ham it up, until there's a wet WHOOOSH of a wave, and now, also saying goodbye, are a crab ("king of the sea"), an octopus ("permanently"), a "musty little goat," a sea lion ("give us a roar!"), and a puffin ("you're all done for!"). When the emergency flare Maude is using as a candle for her goodbye sandwich is lit, smoke fills the whale. "AAAAAAAACHOOOOOO!" The partygoers are all unceremoniously dumped back into the sea. "That's one way to end a party," Maude grumbles. The narrator thinks the episode was fun, but Maude is ready for a nap. A final, splendid image hints at more adventures--however unwanted--to come.
Lyall's spirited text features conversational, delightfully droll exchanges between Maude and the narrator. The rhyme is cumulative and reminiscent of "The Green Grass Grew All Around" and the fun phrasing of Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham. Lyall's matter-of-fact presentation of the farewell party solidly grounds the story in comical territory, and the accumulation of characters is a treat. Maude's and Claude's outsize personalities are magnified by Durst's descriptive art. The illustrator uses charcoal, gouache, and digital illustrations and maintains a grim, wintry seaside palette that contains a boatload of amusing details. All the activity of the participants, the intermittently sarcastic interplay between Maude and the narrator, and the intricate art give this story a plethora of potential to become a story-time favorite. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author
Shelf Talker: This seriously fun picture book features a crusty fisherwoman, her sidekick dog, and a cheeky narrator who face down a whale of a situation with unflappable dry wit.