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the smallest humpback, he,
so short and weak, not long and sleek
as bigger whales at sea."
When all the humpback whales in a pod go heading off to some new islands, Null is in danger of being left behind. The smallest whale in the group, all the other whales dismiss Null as being unable to keep up on their journey. Meanwhile, a group of natives on the nearby islands have a prophecy about being spoken to by a whale, so they routinely venture out into the ocean to catch a whale in order for it to speak to them. They attempt to capture the largest in the group, the king of whales, certain that he is the one that will speak. The king is too strong and breaks capture before dodging out of the second attempt, leading to Null's capture instead.
Each page of this book opens to a full illustration on the left and the text on the right. All of the vocabulary is easy to understand and read, which is an impressive feat considering the measured meter and consistent rhyming. The brightly colored whales and the vibrant shades of the ocean are eye-catching and memorable. Literally on the other side of the page, the story is light-hearted, sweet, and provides a solid moral for young readers about being kind, honest, and how it's okay to be different. With a read that's easy to breeze through and fun to either read aloud or listen along to, this is a great book for sharing with young children either at school or at home. Children will want to spend more time with Null the Whale long after the story is over.