I Love You, Blue
A whale called Blue rescues Jonas the lighthouse-keeper from stormy seas and the two become friends. But when Jonas sets off to find the whale on the following day, he discovers Blue ill and in great danger, needing Jonas’s help.
This charming story is perfect for introducing children to the dangers of plastic pollution and the need to care for our oceans and the creatures that live there. As Jonas explores the beauty of the ocean, the sharp-eyed reader will notice hints of the problem to come in the water beneath him as amongst the fish, carrier bags can be seen, offering the perfect starting point for discussions about how some things end up in our oceans when they really should not be there.
Jonas’s enthusiasm for the world around him and his joy at meeting Blue are infectious. His care for this massive creature is evident in his anxiety when he cannot find his friend, leaving the reader with the heartfelt plea to ‘Save our oceans. Save our whales.’ Although the story is simple and perfect for using with the youngest children, teachers of KS2 children will also be quick to see the possibilities it offers when working with older children. A message from Barroux at the end of the book says that Blue represents all whales- over 20 different species- and different children could undertake research on different species, perhaps recording their findings as non-chronological reports, perhaps preparing a persuasive speech with a view to taking action or perhaps simply sharing their research findings with their peers.
The story might also inspire children to take part in a beach clean or to organise a clean up of their own school grounds, investigating the different types of rubbish commonly found and developing suggestions for how the school community could tackle the issue.
The illustrations are just wonderful and sure to inspire children to experiment with using watercolours to create seascapes of their own or to explore techniques for creating the sky/ sea as Barroux has used here.
A complete delight, this is a book I will be using in school again and again!
I Love You, Blue Barroux
Otter-Barry Books ISBN: 978-1913074500