Heart of a Whale is a beautiful picture book to be read out loud whilst spending time pouring over the illustrations that make you feel just like you are in the ocean alongside the whale and the other creatures he meets along the way.
Whale is all alone, he sings his song so everyone can hear. Some feel calm when they hear his song, others cheer up whilst some drift off to sleep.
But Whale is lonely and longs for the company of another whale, he sighs but as he sighs the ocean listens to his wish and carries it away into the ears and hearts of some other whales – who soon find him and fill his empty heart.
The heart of a whale by Anna Pignataro can promote discussion about loneliness, the importance of family and friendship and how we support each other at all times.
It promotes the gifts that we all have and how by sharing our gifts we can help others in our community. But it also shows us that without close relationships sometimes those gifts and talents may not feel good at all.
Whale has a beautiful song but with an empty heart he just can’t hear it – it’s the power of others that can help us to see just how amazing we are!
Teaching notes
Life cycles and animals – Science
What do you know about whales? Are there different types of whales?
If we didn’t have whales what might the ocean look like?
Whales often swim around in herds – what does this mean?
What sounds do whales make? Listen to some different whale calls – do different whale species make different sounds?
Personal awareness
If you had to walk around every day all by yourself – how would you feel?
When do you feel lonely?
How did the whales in each story change how they looked when they weren’t lonely anymore?
What are your special gifts? How do others help you with these?
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