  | Whale fall : exploring an ocean-floor ecosystem Author: Stewart, Melissa | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea.
| Illustrator: | Dunlavey, Rob |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/22)
Booklist (09/01/24)
The Hornbook (00/01/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/01/2023 After a whale dies and slowly sinks to the ocean floor, its body continues to nourish sea-dwelling creatures for another 50 years. This lovely picture book describes the ongoing process, using especially effective descriptive language (Hungry hagfish smell the whale from miles around and swarm the scene. It may be their first meal in weeks), supported by perfectly aligned mixed-media illustrations in watery shades of blues and greens that span facing spreads. Some pages also feature inset close-ups of tiny critters (zombie worms, amphipods) and show how microbes and bacteria tunnel into the whale's bones. The rich back matter includes additional information about whale falls, a bibliography, sources for further exploration, and basic information about all 22 animals mentioned in the text: scientific name, size, diet, predators, life span, and an often entertaining field note (sea pigs breathe through their butts). Great for researchers—and gentle enough for even the most squeamish audiences—this also makes a great read-aloud (who doesn't want to hear about roughscale rattails and snubnose eelpouts?). - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
