Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn

3.8 (2)

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Author(s)

Justin Anderson

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Jo Weaver

Publisher

Candlewick

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 23, 2022

ISBN

978-1536225129

Buy This Book

Discover the majestic unicorn of the sea with this suspenseful narrative from a BBC filmmaker and gorgeous art from an award-winning illustrator.

With a crack and a creak, the frozen sea begins to melt—the ice splits apart and a new pathway forms.

As winter comes to an end, a pod of narwhals begins a treacherous journey north. Along the way, they must find fish to eat, avoid a hungry polar bear, and navigate the maze of sea ice. Will their sensitive long spiral tusks and clicking calls be enough to keep them safe and help them find their way to their summer resting grounds? Join zoologist Justin Anderson and artist Jo Weaver as they reveal the mysteries of these amazing toothed whales and their Arctic home. Small text offers narwhal facts throughout, and young explorers can read more on the future of this fascinating creature in the back matter.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

educational book about narwhals

September 25, 2022

Overall rating

3.5

Plot

3.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

NARWHAL: THE ARCTIC UNICORN is a story about the Narwhal journey north, primarily following an older Narwhal and his pod. The book explains what they are doing along the way as well as the dangers and predators they must face. Additional text on each spread gives more factual details about narwhals in the situations shown.

What I loved: This is an informative story about narwhals and their journey. The text is long enough to tell the story but also includes smaller text to give additional details and context (such as explaining what makes up a narwhal pod) on each page spread. The narwhals and other animals are drawn with great detail. The backmatter includes more information to start children on the path to learning even more about these arctic unicorns.

What left me wanting more: The story does not quite pull the reader in the way that fictionalized accounts might typically. While it talks a bit about the old narwhal, it does not give them a name or add any emotions to the story, in the documentary style, which will work better for some readers rather than others. The images use muted colors as well that will work better for older readers. The focus does remain on the dangers, with polar bears and killer whales shown as predators (though not actively eating), which may be tough for sensitive readers. However, these are accurate per nature and give the whole picture of why this can be a dangerous journey.

Final verdict: NARWHAL: THE ARCTIC UNICORN is an educational picture book that will work well for elementary school aged readers who enjoy learning about animals.

Olivia Farr, Assistant Blog Manager & Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 1956 reviews

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Real Life Unicorns

September 15, 2022

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Narwhals are one of my kids' favorite animals, so this was a great read for them.
The story is informative and entertaining. I really enjoyed how the author had things written simply, then included more in depth information. The "bonus" content at the back of the book about the future of narwhals with links to more information about them and how to protect them was a nice addition.
The illustrations were beautiful, but my children found them a bit dark - much like how I imagine it is in the Arctic.
Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn is a great addition to anyone library.