The Snail and the Whale

Product Information

Think together about 2 or 3 reasons why snail should go with whale, for example: Go because you’ll see the world and have adventures! Together they set off on a fantastic journey, passing frozen icebergs and fiery volcanoes and meeting all sorts of sea animals on the way, until the tiny snail finds himself oppressed by the vastness of the world. Donaldson has said that it is one of her favourite books, due to its similarity in rhyming style to the works of Edward Lear, of which she was fond of as a child. The snail has to use his ingenuity to rescue the whale and in doing so realises that it doesn’t matter what size you are, you can still help your friends and be recognised in the World. I have to admit I'm normally sort of allergic to children's books that rhyme, because so many children's books handle verse poorly and because, when I read books that rhyme, my brain has trouble turning off the impulse to judge them as poetry and keeps piping up with nitpicks like, "'Golden'?

This is a story which suggests however small you are and however big the world is you can make a difference. There once was a snail that hitched a ride on the tail of the whale, and off they went to travel the world at sea. The snail is delighted by the wonderful world around her, until she realises how small it makes her feel. And once home they gathered all the snails together and set off once again on a communal journey … I wonder what will happen this time. At school he was good at art, but didn't think of a career in illustration until he won a cuddly purple cow in a drawing competition.The story is available as a paperback, a board book, a jigsaw puzzle book, a colouring book, an activity and sticker book, an audiobook with an accompanying audio CD, a magnetic book and a "Read Along" book with an accompanying magnetic audio tape.

The snail, with an itchy foot, lived on a black rock close to a harbour and was always wishing that travel was on the agenda. The smaller illustrations are still just as brilliant and the rhyming verse flows along just like the whale carrying the snail all round the world and back!And there are charming shades of Charlotte's Web in how the smaller animal uses writing to save the larger animal. The snail has an itchy foot and wants to see the world but she doesn't know how she is going to do so.

I like this story as it is sensitive story, putting the values of friendship and kindness at the forefront in a straightforward way. An unlikely friendship occurs between a tiny snail and an enormous humpback whale, together they go on all sorts of adventures on their round the world cruise, they see icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins. When the whale loses his way and they both wash up on a beach, there is instant panic as the big whale and the tiny snail both feel utterly helpless. The aquatic duo see many sights along their way until one sunny summer's morning, the humpback whale, confused by the sound of a group of racing speedboats, swims into a bay and is left beached by the retreating tide.But disaster strikes and the whale becomes beached, luckily the little snail finds a revolutionary way to save the day. Also, I appreciate the realism in how the narrative implicates careless human boaters as the cause of the environmental disaster of the whale's beaching. And the teacher and the children all rally round, go down to the beach and manage to relaunch the whale. Tell the story Using the pictures in the book to help them, children can turn the pages and tell the story in their own words.