Written by Ben Gundersheimer (Mr. G) and illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero

Baby whale Juana is swimming in the warm waters of Mexico. At just one day old, she is already ready to embark on a migration to the icy waters of Alaska for the summer. Juana, her mom and other relatives in her pod travel north, noting the changing scenery along the way. They spend their summer happily eating krill and loving life. As the season changes, they turn and make the long trip back to Mexican waters, where a new calf, Juan, is born. They will stay there throughout the winter and migrate north again in the spring.

Short, accessible sentences in both English and Spanish tell the story of a 10,000 mile migration that occurs every year for these magnificent animals. The words are almost lyrical in their cadence, which are enhanced by the wonderful illustrations done by Marcos Almada Rivero. While this is a fictional piece, young readers are exposed to the basics of migration, whale size, behavior and habitat. An author’s note at the end explains Mr. G’s inspiration of the story and a few more facts. Highly recommended.