Whales in the City

Citizen activism takes on industrial pollution in the Hudson River and makes way for whales to return to New York Harbor in this historical picture book. The whales themselves narrate, imparting the river’s arc from “clean and fresh and clear” to “sickly sweet.” In digitally finished gouache and graphite spreads, Groenink paints increasingly polluted waters following colonial settlement. Next, humans, portrayed with various skin tones, take up the story; Castaldo conveys how “we protested, marched, and voted” until the Clean Water Act is signed. After cleanup begins, fish return; then, finally, so do whales. A dramatic aerial view from behind the Statue of Liberty shows a whale approaching a tour boat full of passengers. Though the central narrative elides mention of the region’s Indigenous peoples, the creators convey the shifts’ long timeline and the possibility of change. Includes extensive back matter. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)