From the creators behind The Gruffalo is a delightful tale of adventure and friendship with Julia Donaldson's trademark rhyming text and Axel Scheffler's brilliant, characterful illustrations When a tiny snail meets a humpback whale, the two travel together to far-off lands. It's a dream come true for the snail, who has never left home before. But when the whale swims too close to shore, will the snail be able to save her new friend?
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"I love the idea of this book: the little snail, living on a rock with lots of other snails, yearns to cross the ocean and have adventures, but has no means to do so. Along comes a friendly whale and the snail catches a ride on his tail. How they marvel at what the vast world offers, and how the little snail, in the end, saves the life of his much larger friend, makes a satisfying story. I could relate to the little snail, wishing to experience the wonders of this big world. When the pair of friends return to the snail's rocky home, their tales persuade all of the other snails to hitch a ride with the whale. The rhyming text lends itself to being read aloud."
— Caren (4 out of 5 stars)
" A fun kids book with a great rhythm to the read. A regular bedtime favorite in our house. Great for boys and girls. "
— zoe, 2/3/2014" Beautifully structured story of an adventurous snail, and how his brains triumph to save the brawn of the whale. I love the fact that as is so often the case with JD's books the little hero triumphs in a big wide world. "
— Sonia, 1/30/2014" I love reading this book to my children. Highly recommend it for the little ones. "
— Shanti, 1/18/2014" Great book for teaching a lesson on rhyming. As far as the story line goes, this would be a great book for teaching the importance of working together. "
— Michaela, 1/17/2014" I love this book so much! I guess I really relate to the snail with the itchy foot. "
— Tippy, 1/16/2014" The Snail and the Whale is a beautifully illustrated book, with tongue twisting rhyme and strong themes. The snail wants to explore the world and does so by making an unlikely alliance with a humpback whale. After exploring far away and vast lands, the snail concludes that he feels very small indeed. The snail symolizes young children who are curious about their world, and how they can feel insignificant in the world. However, the smallest creature can make a difference, as in the story the small snail helps his friend the whale and in doing so draws attention to the plight of endangered species and how each individual can make a difference to the world. "
— Umbreen, 1/11/2014" Love it! My students were very mesmerized by the illustrations too! "
— Iziesaz, 1/10/2014" I'm partial to a protagonist with an itchy foot. My favorite Donaldson / Scheffler collaboration. "
— Rachelle, 1/1/2014" Love it. Great read-aloud! "
— Amy, 12/27/2013" Great fun. Wonderful story with fun rhyme. "
— Greta, 12/18/2013" Beautifully written and a joy to look at. Lovely bed time read. "
— Jo, 12/16/2013Julia Donaldson was brought up in London and studied Drama and French at Bristol University. Along with being a brilliant children’s author, Julia enjoys singing, songwriting, and performing. Julia is currently the Children’s Laureate and best known as the author of the modern classic The Gruffalo. The Gruffalo has sold more than four million copies and been translated into more than thirty different languages. She lives in Glasgow.