28. Whale Port

Whale Port by Mark Foster illustrated by Gerald Foster (Houghton Miflin) 2007

Genre

Picturebook

Honors

James Madison Book Award, 2008, nominee

Review

The Fosters trace a small coastal town from 1683 through the current era.  The primary focus is on the whaling industry's rise and decline.  Along the way we see the effects of the trade upon the development of a city for both better and worse: fires, profit, decline, renovation.  All of this is really a backdrop for discussing whaling and life in New England in a general way (the featured coastal town is a fictional composite of several actual whaling ports).  We learn about the houses, industry, and tools common to these kinds of port cities.  There is also oblique mentions of the impact whaling had on whale populations and the environment.  The book doesn't offer statistics of declining whale populations, but does mention that they became progressively scarce.

Opinion

I wasn't thrilled to learn that the city at the center of the book was a composite.  Perhaps this provided the author freedom to touch upon all of the aspects of American life from 1683 to the new millennium that he was interested in discussing.  It may have also freed him from offending ancestors of historical figures, but I feel like the work would feel more tangible had he chosen an actual city.  Having said that, the information and the illustrations are top-notch, making this a rare case where the generalizations are more exciting than the case study (as the case study is fictional).

Ideas

The book would partner well with lessons about whaling or books like Moby Dick or Heart of a Samurai.  The art work might also be inspiring for a group interested in drawing or illustration.  One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is how the coastline changes over time.