Here are 85 books that The Whale Who Wanted More fans have personally recommended if you like The Whale Who Wanted More. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Wolf’s Secret

Coralie Bickford-Smith Author Of The Fox and the Star

From my list on children’s stories that adults will love as well.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an author, illustrator, and book designer. I never lost my childhood wonder at the printed page. When I write my own books, I create stories for both adults and children with deep meaning weaved into seemingly naive text and images. I enjoy creating worlds in which stories are told for children's and adults' imaginations to coexist. I think being dyslexic led me to enjoy aspects of visual storytelling so much. I have worked in publishing for many years and I am well known for my work on the Penguin clothbound classics where I use my visual illustration style to entice readers new and old to read classic stories and escape into new worlds.

Coralie's book list on children’s stories that adults will love as well

Coralie Bickford-Smith Why Coralie loves this book

As soon as I opened this book, I could see the inspiration from all the things that I personally love had been weaved into this beautiful visual story. I enjoy how illuminated manuscripts and ancient books inspire the pages with tiny detail. This book adds to its rich storytelling by playing with these elements. So beautifully designed and such wonderful integration of text and image. A stunning tale for young and old, with a message that makes my heart happy.

By Myriam Dahman , Nicolas Digard , Julia Sardà (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Wolf’s Secret as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Wolf is a hunter, feared by every creature. But he has a secret: in the middle of the forest lives a girl whose beautiful voice has entranced him . . .

The Wolf longs for friendship. But is he prepared to sacrifice his own true nature in order for his wish to come true?

A beautiful and lyrical contemporary fairy tale about difference, trust and the power of friendship to overcome any obstacle.

This sumptuous hardback gift book, with gold foil detail, is perfect for lovers of fairy tales and fables, new and old. It is gloriously illustrated by acclaimed…


Book cover of The Littlest Yak

Kevin Asla Author Of Autumn's Halloween

From my list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I enjoy stories with morals & adventure! The animal kingdom has always been a favourite of children around the world, and a perfect way of conveying these fables without boring the reader. My particular love for foxes has always been there but also extends to other forest creatures. They are always my first choice when picking a book that kids will love and also for my video game designs.

Kevin's book list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals

Kevin Asla Why Kevin loves this book

I love the scenery in this book. Great Himalayan mountains and crisp snow. Gertie is a perfect character that lets us see what many children struggle with. Gertie is not happy, she feels inferior, but an opportunity arrives which allows showing how valuable she is. Fun is intertwined within the pages of the books. The pictures are beautiful! Another fable story with a moral center!

By Lu Fraser , Kate Hindley (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Littlest Yak as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

WINNER of Oscar's Book Prize 2021!
WINNER Book of the Year and Best Picture Book at the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards 2021!

Perfect for fans of Rachel Bright and Julia Donaldson, The Littlest Yak is a joyous, rhyming caper that teaches little ones to celebrate their own unique talents!

On the tip of the top of a mountain all snowy, where the ice-swirling, toe-curling blizzards were blowy, in a herd full of huddling yaks, big and small, lived Gertie . . . the littlest yak of them all.

Gertie is the littlest yak in her whole herd, and she's feeling…


Book cover of Rain Before Rainbows

Kevin Asla Author Of Autumn's Halloween

From my list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I enjoy stories with morals & adventure! The animal kingdom has always been a favourite of children around the world, and a perfect way of conveying these fables without boring the reader. My particular love for foxes has always been there but also extends to other forest creatures. They are always my first choice when picking a book that kids will love and also for my video game designs.

Kevin's book list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals

Kevin Asla Why Kevin loves this book

A pet can be a powerful companion, which is why I've always adored books that convey the relationship between a person and their animal and how a furry friend can help us out of our darkest times. Written with a song-like rhyme and with animals portraying friendship, help, and hope, it tells the story of a girl and her companion fox, illustrated colorfully. I particularly like the background scenes. The book undoubtedly runs from a troubled stage to a place of hope.

By Smriti Prasadam-Halls , David Litchfield (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rain Before Rainbows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

An uplifting, stunningly beautiful book about optimism in the darkest of places.

A girl and her companion fox travel together from a place of loss and despair, through uncertain times, towards the hope of colour, light and life. Along the way, they find friends to guide and support them. Together, they build a glorious future and discover there is a way out of the darkness, into the light of the rainbow. A book with immense hope at its heart, this is a positive message for anyone who's ever gone through a tough time.


Book cover of Wolfboy

Kevin Asla Author Of Autumn's Halloween

From my list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I enjoy stories with morals & adventure! The animal kingdom has always been a favourite of children around the world, and a perfect way of conveying these fables without boring the reader. My particular love for foxes has always been there but also extends to other forest creatures. They are always my first choice when picking a book that kids will love and also for my video game designs.

Kevin's book list on fables with moral through the eyes of animals

Kevin Asla Why Kevin loves this book

The black pages caught my attention immediately. Unfortunately, it is not often used for children's books, and it looks terrific with the plasticine style illustrations, making the drawings stand out. A few words tell the story of Wolfboy and his gloomy mood while being hungry and how it can make you look like a monster! Fun reading for little ones.

By Andy Harkness ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wolfboy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Wolfboy is hungry! He's drooly and growly and fussy! As he stomps through the forest looking for rabbits, he grows hungrier and growlier by the minute! What will happen if Wolfboy can't find those rabbits? And what will happen if he does? With bold illustrations and energetic storytelling, Wolfboy perfectly captures the big feelings that come with being very hungry! Engaging, original and perfect for reading aloud, this funny and fresh picture book is a must-have for anyone who's ever been impatient for their food.


Book cover of Wild Blue: A Natural History of the World's Largest Animal

Jim Lynch Author Of The Highest Tide

From my list on cool facts about whales.

Why am I passionate about this?

I began as a journalist and turned into a novelist who uses extensive research to build my imagined stories. So, I tend to end up writing novels about whatever is fascinating enough to send me down research rabbit holes. I’m finishing a novel now about the wonders and mysteries of whales and the researchers who commit their lives to try to understand them. During the last three years, I have interviewed whale researchers, gone on expeditions with them, and have read countless scientific papers and quite a few books on whales. These books I’m recommending here were some of my favorites.

Jim's book list on cool facts about whales

Jim Lynch Why Jim loves this book

Bortolotti’s book reveals the beguiling fact that we don’t know much about the largest animals to ever live on earth. Despite their hugeness, blue whales remain elusive and mysterious creatures. Most of the whales’ calls to each other operate at frequencies below our hearing range. Their breeding and migration patterns remain unpredictable compared to other whales. This book drops the reader into a small inflatable Zodiac out in the ocean looking for and studying these whales with several of the world’s most accomplished and tenacious blue whale researchers.

By Dan Bortolotti ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wild Blue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The blue whale holds the title of largest creature that has ever lived, and it may also be the most mysterious. The biggest blue whales can outweigh every player in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League combined. Their mouths can gulp more than thirteen thousand gallons of seawater. A newborn can be over twenty feet long and gain nearly twenty tons in seven months—about eight pounds per hour. Blue whales emit more powerful sounds than any other animal on earth, though many of their vocalizations are beyond the range of human hearing.
Yet nearly everything that we have…


Book cover of The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea

Skip Finley Author Of Whaling Captains of Color: America's First Meritocracy

From my list on from an expert on whaling captains of color.

Why am I passionate about this?

Before becoming a writer I was widely acknowledged as a successful radio station executive, a business relying heavily on audience and other numerical information. That earned me the nickname “Data” (from Star Trek). Having written an article about a Black whaling captain for Martha’s Vineyard Magazine I became intrigued about how this could have occurred in the years of slavery and began buying and reading books on whaling to find that answer. About 100 such books resulted in my book on 50 some men who had attained that lofty rank; today I’m up to about 180 and/or I can attest I’ve read fundamentally all of the books on the subject.

Skip's book list on from an expert on whaling captains of color

Skip Finley Why Skip loves this book

Too many books about whaling omit the obvious, the whale itself. An example is that we killed the largest creature on earth for 100 years before we learned it wasn’t a fish! The Whale is educational, laugh-out-loud funny, at times scatological, and easy to read. Best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick called it “genius... rhapsodic meditation on all things cetacean” in his New York Times book review. It’s the bible of whales and, dare I say it, more interesting than Moby-Dick.

By Philip Hoare ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Whale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A love letter to the 'largest, loudest, oldest' mammal ever to have existed...exhilarating." -People Magazine

Winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction,

From his childhood fascination with the gigantic Natural History Museum model of a blue whale, to his abiding love of Moby-Dick, to his adult encounters with the living animals in the Atlantic Ocean, the acclaimed writer Philip Hoare has been obsessed with whales. The Whale is his unforgettable and moving attempt to explain why these strange and beautiful animals exert such a powerful hold on our imagination.

An enthralling and eye-opening literary leviathan swimming in similar…


Book cover of The Blue Whale

Lisa Kahn Schnell Author Of High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs

From my list on water and the amazing creatures that live there.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent long days at the beach as a kid, and sharp bits of horseshoe crab shells in my sandcastles were a frequent annoyance. As an adult, I discovered a horseshoe crab lurching its way back to the water and wondered: What's the deal with this weird animal? To find out, I read books, talked with scientists, and assisted with horseshoe crab and shorebird research. What I discovered—about horseshoe crabs, other animals, and the water they live in—was too amazing to keep to myself. I hope my book encourages kids to go out and explore wild places, too!

Lisa's book list on water and the amazing creatures that live there

Lisa Kahn Schnell Why Lisa loves this book

Awe, beauty, and a satisfying amount of information—The Blue Whale has it all. I love the curious child we follow through the book, as well as the visual comparisons that turn astonishing facts about the world’s largest living creature into subtly humorous images that I can relate to on a more personal level. In the final pages of the book, the child—our surrogate adventurer—falls asleep and dreams, amazed by a world that contains such tremendous creatures. 

By Jenni Desmond ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Blue Whale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A nonfiction picture book, The Blue Whale draws children into the life and world of this enormous whale by situating facts within a familiar context that is fun and engaging. Here, readers are given the actual size of an eye right on the page, and we are informed how understand this whale's body size in relation to trucks, cars, milk bottles, and hippos! With an accurate and engaging text, fully vetted by a blue whale expert, and lyrically lovely illustrations, The Blue Whale is a book that invites children in and holds their attention. Its tempo is like a pleasing…


Book cover of Whole Whale

Leah Rose Kessler Author Of Rat Fair

From my list on upbeat humor on doing the right thing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Over my career as an elementary school teacher and a science educator I’ve seen time and time again that no matter the topic, learning happens best when people feel positive and engaged. My favorite books to share with young readers are those that capture their attention–be it with stunning illustrations, unusual information, or hilarious situations–and leave them with a strong emotional connection to the characters or story. Now, as I read oodles of picture books for writing research, I keep an extra special eye out for those that leave me smiling and also make me think. Some of my very favorites are collected for you here.

Leah's book list on upbeat humor on doing the right thing

Leah Rose Kessler Why Leah loves this book

The Whole Whale is a counting book, a delightful, read-aloud rhyming book, and, at its core, it’s a book about making space for everyone, even when it might seem easier to say, “Sorry, there’s no room for you.” The other 99 animals in the book don’t hesitate to make way for their biggest friend by pushing and shoving until… voilà… they arrive at a special surprise—a double fold-out page big enough to fit all 100 different animals (Seriously! 100!). Talk about a page you and your little one can pore over again and again and find something new every time!

By Karen Yin , Nelleke Verhoeff (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Whole Whale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One hundred unusual animals try to squeeze into the pages of this raucous rhyming tale. But will there be room to fit a whole blue whale? The humorous ending features an expansive double gatefold and educational endnotes list the 100 animals in the book.


Book cover of Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

Jilanne Hoffmann Author Of A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon

From my list on picture books about nature that made me say “WOW!!”.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a rural area, and loved wandering through the woods, listening to birds, and feeling moss under my toes. Nature always seemed like such wondrous magic. I became an engineer because I loved math and science, but then realized I wanted to share my love of nature with kids. So I earned an MFA in writing and now lean on my science and writing background to make sure that my books and the STEM books I recommend are both well-researched and presented in interesting ways. You can find more of my reviews on my blog for Perfect Picture Book Fridays. I hope the books on my list fill you with wonder, too! 

Jilanne's book list on picture books about nature that made me say “WOW!!”

Jilanne Hoffmann Why Jilanne loves this book

Such a glorious book that shows us the wonder of whales and why we need to protect them.

I fell in love with the blue whale drifting through a sea teeming with life. I watched her reveal an “elephant-sized tongue” that “shoved 21,000 gallons of seawater” out through her baleen filter, leaving her with a mouthful of krill that could “fill a school bus”!

Holy cow! I learned how her ears reveal her age and where she’s traveled over her lifetime. And when she died, my heart went with her. But wait! This was only the beginning, because it turns out her body sustains so much other ocean life. Life that will, in turn, feed the lives that will feed future whales.

The illustrations by the phenomenal Caldecott-winning Jason Chin are stunning!

By Lynn Brunelle , Jason Chin (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Follow a blue whale’s enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish.

All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at…


Book cover of The Thousand Faces of Night

Berlie W. Doherty Author Of Rose Doran Dreams

From my list on the psychological power of fairy stories and fables.

Why am I passionate about this?

Much of my writing is influenced by Fairy Stories. Sometimes I retell the stories in my own words, sometimes I create my own, and sometimes, as in Rose Doran Dreams, I weave them into the narrative so that they shape the central character in a way that affects or explains her development. There is a darkness about Fairy Stories that fascinates me, that gives psychological depth to a character or a narrative as I write. I am dizzy with the notion that Fairy Stories don’t belong to the teller or the writer, the listener or the reader; they transcend time and place. 

Berlie's book list on the psychological power of fairy stories and fables

Berlie W. Doherty Why Berlie loves this book

I was given this book thirty years ago by an Indian poet, who promised me I would love it. It is a feast of stories, told to the central character Devi throughout her life. Through her grandmother’s ancient stories, she learns about love, beauty, riches, and womanhood. Her father-in-law tells her stories that teach her about life, how to survive her lonely marriage, how to belong. Stories and dreams give her wealth and power, but they evaporate and still she is there, empty, alone, and desperate for the love that the old stories are about. 

Two other women’s stories weave through the narrative. Her mother Seta, and her husband’s old retainer, Mayamma share exotic tales of ancient India, Gods, mysteries, magic, and rituals. 

The Thousand Faces of Night is trancelike and beautiful.

By Githa Hariharan ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Thousand Faces of Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A debut novel which interweaves the fabled myths and legends of India with a young woman's search for self, exploring such universal themes as freedom, independence and desire.


Book cover of The Wolf’s Secret
Book cover of The Littlest Yak
Book cover of Rain Before Rainbows

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in fables, whales, and fairy tales?

Fables 44 books
Whales 42 books
Fairy Tales 330 books