I LOVE YOU, BLUE

A little sailor in a small boat saves a whale from death by plastic.

As the sea churns and rages, a little boat and its White sailor are in desperate trouble (“Mayday! Mayday!”), but a massive whale named Blue comes to the rescue. The small sailor, now snug and safe in a lighthouse, wishes Blue good night: “Blue, Blue…you are beautiful. Blue, Blue…good night.” The next day the sailor searches for Blue and frets when it doesn’t appear. Blue is deep beneath the sea and not feeling well. After entering the whale’s mouth, the sailor discovers that Blue’s belly is filled with plastic bags. In an effort to help the whale, the little sailor gathers all the bags and carries them away in the boat, leaving Blue to eat a healthier diet of jellyfish. The next encounter finds Blue leaping happily while the sailor proclaims a loving message to the whale. The caring little sailor’s tale presents basic information about humans’ threats to whales along with a heartfelt exhortation for young readers to join in the effort to save the oceans and the whales. Thin outlines delineate the simple forms of the sailor, the other living creatures, the boat, the lighthouse, and the plastic bags. The whale and its interior, the sky, and the sea dominate these softly colored compositions.

A gentle and tender cautionary tale that avoids excessive didacticism.