The Snail and the Whale

From the ever-popular, award-winning author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Sheffler, creators of The Gruffalo, comes this wonderful book. The Snail and the Whale is a tale of firm friendship and adventure. A sea snail with a passion for travel teams up with a humpback whale and the story proves that being small doesn't necessarily equal being powerless. Richly coloured and detailed full page illustrations draw the imagination into the world of the sea, far away places and exotic creatures. There is plenty to observe in the detail of the pictures, including the entertaining Axel Sheffler birds, animals and fish with facial expressions. This is a book to enjoy sitting with at bedtime just to look at and talk about the images. The story itself is one of thrilling exploration and rescue, looking beyond familiar horizons and being brave. Julia Donaldson's storytelling is in rhyming verse which builds confidence in early readers, with a rhythm that is soothing and holds the attention all the way through. As the story unfolds it visits a range of different landscapes, polar, mountainous and tropical. A pleasure for adults and children to listen to and to read aloud.