Review Detail

I LOVE YOU, BLUE is a simple and sweet story of a friendship between whale and human. A lighthouse keeper ventures out in their boat each day, but one day, the water is rough with a storm and the boat capsizes. When they call out for help, a whale answers and saves the boat and their life. The whale is named blue, and the lighthouse keeper cannot wait to see them again.

However, the next day, Blue is missing. When the lighthouse keeper goes to find Blue, they learn that Blue is ill - the whale has eaten too many plastic bags. The lighthouse keeper removes all the trash and tells Blue to eat jellyfish instead of bags, making the comparison in appearance. The next day, the lighthouse keeper worries again, but luckily, Blue is still doing well. The end of the book includes some backmatter about the importance of keeping the oceans clean.

With a brief writing style and evocative illustrations, this is a simple story that conveys an important message of environmentalism and the need to clean up the oceans. The relationship between the lighthouse keeper and whale is very sweet with a clear connection and quick emotional investment, despite being sparse on words. While the effects on the whale could be scary, there is a rapid resolution with a message of cleaning up the trash that will resonate with young readers.

A simple and sweet story of environmentalism and friendship, I LOVE YOU, BLUE is a poignant and evocative picture book that will work well for toddlers on up.