Nonfiction Monday: Here come the humpbacks! by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Jamie Hogan

Sayre follows a humpback from birth, through migration, and back to the warm waters and the beginning of adulthood.

There are three levels of text, at the beginning and end and in a few selected spots are simple, bold sentences. The bulk of the book consists of simple descriptive paragraphs describing the whale's birth, journey and growth. Each page also includes, in smaller type, additional information about ocean creatures, the humpbacks, or some of the threats they face both natural and man-made.

Jamie Hogan's illustrations will be familiar from A Warmer World and while I usually prefer photographs, after a few readings I came to appreciate her thick, lush charcoal pencil and pastels.The thick, textured paintings give a warmth and mystery to the whale's underwater world and is hard to capture with digital images.

This follows what I think is the best pattern for easy nonfiction; several levels of text to follow. Very young children can enjoy the pictures and large text with a few snippets from the paragraphs. Preschoolers will be able to sit still for most of the descriptive paragraphs. Older kids, or those that are really interested in the subject, will pick up on the extra fact sections.

Verdict: This will be a nice addition to a storytime collection or easy nonfiction. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781580894050; Published 2013 by Charlesbridge; Signed copy purchased for the library at ALA annual 2013