The 13 Best Children’s Books About Whales

Dive into the fascinating world of whales with these great books! These children’s picture books are living books that are perfect for a Charlotte Mason approach to learning and great for preschool through upper elementary and beyond. Most of these books are nonfiction books, but they are written in such a way that young readers will easily stay engaged while learning lots of amazing facts about whales. 

Best Books About Whales for Children

Here Come the Humpbacks! by April Pulley Sayre

My kids loved this one! The story follows a mother humpback whale as she gives birth, cares for her baby, and migrates. Lots and lots of great information is woven throughout the story, making the story rich and full of life. 

How Long is a Whale by Alison Limentani

This is a really fun book! It’s short and simple, so it’s great for preschool and younger readers, but older kids will appreciate it too. It compares the sizes of different ocean animals, ending with the blue whale.

Whales by Gail Gibbons

Straightforward, simple, and easy to understand – this nonfiction picture book is full of information and a great place to start learning about all the amazing whales in the deep blue ocean! It covers such topics as echolocation, migration, how whales breathe, toothed versus baleen whales, the anatomy of whales, and the impact that commercial whaling has had on whale populations. The book briefly introduces young readers to many whales, such as gray whales, sperm whales, narwhals, beluga whales, killer whales, minke whales, right whales, sei whales, fin whales, and more. One thing that I appreciate about this book is that it talks about whale species that are not often included in many children’s picture books about whales.

Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies

This beautiful book was my favorite book about whales! It does a great job of helping readers understand the biggest thing in the ocean – the blue whale – by using comparisons and imagery that are familiar. For example, it tells the reader that the blue whale’s skin feels like a boiled egg and the eye of the whale is the size of a tea cup. Lots of great information is included about how and what blue whales eat, how they breathe, their migration patterns, and more. The text is lyrical and engaging and the beautiful illustrations make this book a delight to read. This one was a hit! 

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond

We really enjoyed this book! It is filled with interesting facts about blue whales told in fun and interesting ways (such as how many hippopotami a blue whale weighs, and how many people could fit in a blue whale’s mouth). The illustrations are fantastic as well. This is one of my top picks! 

Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn by Justin Anderson

So much fascinating information about narwhals in this book! The book is in story form which makes it easy to read and easy to absorb all the interesting facts. Great read! 

The Blue Whale – Donna K. Grosvenor

This story follows a baby blue whale as he journeys with his mother to Antarctica. Baby Blue meets many other whales along the way, so the reader gets introduced to many different whale species, such as sperm whales, orcas, and right whales, while learning about how blue whales eat, interact, breathe, swim, and more. 

Baby Whale’s Journey by Jonathan London

This is a story about the birth and early life of a baby sperm whale. The story incorporates information about what sperm whales eat, how they dive, how they protect themselves from predators, how they migrate, and more. The back matter gives even more detailed information. Definitely a worthwhile read!

Whales! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle

This is a great introduction to many kinds of whales and general whale behavior and facts. A good choice for an overview on whales!

Ibis: A True Whale Story by John Himmelman

This is the true story of Ibis, a humpback whale who became entangled in fishing nets and nearly died because of it, but was cut loose just in time to save her life. The whale’s rescue was facilitated by another whale, which gives us a fascinating window into the relationships that these gentle giants have with one another. This story is interesting and easy to read, and a good choice for helping children understand the impact that humans have on ocean animals. 

Wild Orca: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World by Brenda Peterson

This is a fictional story of a girl named Mia that highlights a real whale named “Granny.” Granny was the famous matriarch of three pods of killer whales and lived to be at least 105 years old! Mia watches for “Granny” with her family, and as she waits and watches, readers learn all kinds of things about orcas. There is a lot of good information  incorporated into this story, and even more in the back matter.

I am a Whale: The Life of a Humpback Whale by Darlene Stille

The text is simple and concise yet full of fascinating information about humpback whales. Short enough to keep a young elementary aged child’s attention and interesting enough for an older child as well.

Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story by Wendy Tokuda

Tells the amazing story of a humpback whale who lost his way and got stuck in the San Francisco Bay. The story has a happy ending, because of the near miraculous way that, with the assistance of many persistent people, the trapped whale found his way home. 

I hope you enjoyed these wonderful books about whales! What favorite whale books would you add to the list?

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