September 2013
Welcome Home by Christina Booth (FORD ST) PB RRP $ 26.95 ISBN 9781925000085 Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis This is a book that gave me goose-bumps when I read it. I imagine it has that effect on most people. The deeply moving text combined with the magnificent full page illustrations created with watercolour, ink pencil and crayon with blue the dominant colour throughout, bring into focus the ongoing conflict between man and whale. This gentle and emotive story is more than a book for children. It is a history of whaling; another story told from the whale’s point of view, and a third seen through the child’s mind. It carries important messages and should be placed on every bookshelf, and every library and resource centre. It’s the boy that hears the whale. He hears her stories of sadness and joy. ‘She is telling of her fear and darkness’. Soon he knows what it is trying to tell him. The sadness stems from the history of its slaughter. The joy belongs to the whale for it has returned at last with a baby, and this joy is shared by man. At the conclusion of the book, there is a double page of historical and informative facts about whales. The tale of the early plight of the Right whales is told; those playful and lovable mammals that were slaughtered by the sailors of the early convict ships. Wonderful trivia is accompanied by how the story idea was formed, along with a lot of information on these whales in general. A link to further information on whales is also available. |
GOOD READS
Welcome Home by Christina Booth 5.0 of 5 stars 5.00 · rating details · 1 rating · 1 review Welcome Home is the story of a young boy and a whale as she swims into the river harbour seeking safety and a resolution to the violent past relationship between whales and man. This prosaic journey, accompanied with soft, sketchy watercolour imagoes, reveals how the past can impact our future. Can the boy make amends for the past? Can the whale forgive and return to what was once her ancestors' home? |
August 28th, 2013
Welcome Home by Christina Booth (Ford Street Publishing) HB RRP $26.95 PB RRP $16.95 HB ISBN 978-1925000085 PB ISBN 978-1925000092 Reviewed by Francine Sculli Welcome Home is an important book about an issue that is not always easy to convey in children’s literature, but author and illustrator – Christina Booth – has carved a story so rich in meaning and message that it should be read to every generation. Welcome Home is told through the eyes of a young, nameless boy. Every day he hears the calls of a female whale echoing down the river, softly lapping at the mountains. The boy listens intently as her calls change from pure joy to sadness and pain. Trying to decipher the calls that only he can hear, the boy feels the whale’s pain and listens to her story. The whale carries history to the river – a place where her ancestors were once driven out by early settler whalers, mindlessly slaughtered and displaced. The boy feels it all, as the whale comes to him every day, searching for meaning and forgiveness, and a return to the place they once called home. The whale tells the boy that they wanted to come home but they did not feel safe and the boy hangs his head. Saddened by what the men had done to her, he whispers a soft sorry as she swims away, her flukes clapping like thunder. But the next day, as if the boy’s sorry was enough for her to feel safe again, the whale returns to the river with a call that is gentle and soft. The boy sees that the call was not meant for him this time, but the small baby whale that she has given birth to in the river. The boy and bystanders watch as the whale and her child swim through the waters, full of forgiveness and new beginnings. She tells the boy that they are safe now, and he welcomes them home. Booth tells the story in a soft and unobtrusive way, but still her message is heard. The warm, forgiving and endearing nature of the whales, and the understanding and connectedness of the boy, which she paints so poetically, are powerful enough to show the mindless nature of whaling and what is needed to move forward. The words Booth chooses are nothing short of perfect and beautiful. But it is her illustrations that are a form of poetry in themselves – soft, washed out watercolours, intricately telling with their hues of grey, white, black and blue. They are images that tell of the whales joy and pain and of a future that does not need to be so horrific. This important book is the perfect catalyst for educating and introducing children to the effects of whaling, to instil in them a care for our natural world and to spread the story that we must care for our animal world. It is a story perfect for the classroom and the family bookshelf, but one that should be read to adults and children alike. |