Welcome Home Whales

A boy dreams of a whale’s call as she returns to a bay to introduce her new calf to the world.

Winner of the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature 

In a quiet harbor, a young child hears the call of a right whale, the rarest kind of whale. He is the only person in his town to hear the whale’s moving song, and he waits by the bay to hear more of her story and shares in her joy and sorrow. At first her story makes the young boy sad, but he is soon filled with hope as she introduces her new calf to the world. Full of dreamy watercolors, Welcome Home, Whales shares the story of a boy who befriends a whale and offers her empathy and understanding.

This poignant and optimistic story reveals timely themes of empathy and conservation that will resonate with children concerned about wildlife, the environment, and how they can help make a better world. Welcome Home, Whales eloquently illustrates the issues our younger generations are grappling with today and ends with a list of ways kids can help whales wherever they live.

One percent of sales of this book will go to the nonprofit wildlife conservation organization, Defenders of Wildlife.

Christina Booth trained as a teacher and painter and is an award-winning Australian author and illustrator of over twenty books.

"Booth’s tale ... is moody and mystical. Her lyrical prose and cerulean watercolor art swim together like mother and calf: “two voices calling with a story of new beginnings.”” —New York Times

​“Beautifully tender, moving, and even hopeful.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Offer[s] a gorgeous way for young readers to connect with the world they live in…. this book encourages readers to learn about the whales  in their nearest waters and find ways to protect them.” —Romper

“A lusciously visual book, drenched in heart.” —Kids' Book Review

“Welcome Home, Whales is a beautifully illustrated, poignant tale full of compassion and hope for some of the largest creatures on the planet that you will want to share with your children again and again.”  —Leigh Calvez, author of The Breath of a Whale and The Hidden Lives of Owls