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Book Review of Humphrey, the Lost Whale: A True Story

Humphrey, the Lost Whale: A True Story
reviewed on + 552 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Beautifully illustrated story of a Humpback whale that wandered away from his pod and entered San Franciso Bay & swam up the Sacramento River while looking for the ocean. He became trapped in a tiny stream in the middle of a farmfield. People from all over followed his story and how he made it back to the ocean. Wonderful story!

Annotation
Describes how a migrating humpback whale mistakenly entered the San Francisco Bay in 1985 and swam sixty-four miles inland before being led back to the sea by people concerned for his welfare.

From the Publisher
The original book based on the true story of Humphrey, the Humpback whale who swam into the San Francisco Bay.

From The Critics
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3 A light-hearted approach to the problem of beached whales, Humphrey's story allows librarians to give a happy ``yes'' to that often asked question, ``Is this a true story?'' A humpback whale makes a wrong turn in San Francisco Bay and finds himself trapped in the fresh water of Sacramento River. With the help of scientists and whale watching friends, he makes his way back to the safety of his salty ocean home. Notes give more details about Humphrey's ordeal that began in October 1985, lasted almost a month, and cost $80,000 for rescue efforts. Children can trace Humphrey's journey on the endpaper map. The watercolor illustrations are cleverly peopled with whale watchers of all ages who watch from their boats, from atop bridges, and from the banks as Humphrey splashes and spouts his way through the pages. For older children, Goldner & Vogel's Humphrey the Wrong-Way Whale (Dillon, 1987) is another factual account; it has photographs. Betty Craig Campbell, Brewton Elementary School, Ala.