Wild Orca: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World
WILD ORCA: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World, filled with stunning illustrations by master illustrator, Wendell Minor. This is the true story of the beloved orca matriarch, Granny (J2) who led her J, K, and L pods for 105 years until her death in the winter of 2016. We celebrate Granny's long and astonishing life and hope her generations thrive. A Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt book.
Wild Orca is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award book.
National Science Teachers Association chose Wild Orca as an Outstanding Science Book for K1-12.
WATCH this wonderful Orca video from Voice of the Orcas.
WATCH as @benicialibrary's Children's Librarian reads Wild Orca.
Praise for Wild Orca:
“Evocative watercolor illustrations show the appealing whales swimming and communicating, with the text integrating the whales' signature sounds into the story. An informative and entertaining introduction to this intriguing endangered species.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Minor’s glorious gouache paintings capture the joy of the day, setting the stage, introducing the characters―both human and dolphin―and showing these gymnasts in action. . . An engaging, possibly inspiring addition to any nature collection.”
– School Library Journal
“Minor's full-bleed paintings of the orcas and their admirers, especially the underwater scenes, are stunning. An intriguing, visually appealing introduction to a remarkable animal.”
– Booklist
Samples of Wendell Minor’s paintings for Wild Orca, below:
Above: In Wendell Minor’s studio while he was working on Wild Orca
Above: Glorious Granny, the star of Wild Orca • Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu
Above: In 2020, Brenda visited an elementary school to teach kids about Orca conservation and read her book Wild Orca-The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World. There, she met this adorable little girl who had turned her birthday into a fundraiser, making $2000 for Langley Whale Center-Orca Network.