Author: Karen Hayles and Charles Fuge

Grades: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd

Synopsis: As the midsummer sun melts the winter ice in the Arctic, Whale cavorts happily through the open sea. While his friend Fish watches from below, the majestic mammal leaps high into the air, landing “slap” in the middle of an ice floe. Other animals gradually arrive on the scene, and Walrus takes charge of the rescue effort. Sea birds, seals, polar bears, and dolphins push and shove, sweat and strain, but all to no avail. As the day grows brighter, the exhausted compatriots rest in the hot sun. Finally, with a huge “crunch,” the ice melts, plunging all of them into the sea.

Debrief Questions:

• What were all the different ways that the animals tried to save Whale? Do you always know the solution to a problem right away?
• Even though what they tried didn’t always work, do you think the animals still benefited from working together? Why or why not?