I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY BOOK, telling the story of Dan’s search for the Blue Whale and that the pictures express the child’s wonder and excitement for the natural world.
The earth is often called the blue planet because more than two-thirds of its surface is covered by water. The oceans are home to billions of animals and plants. These range from the tiny microscopic creatures to the Blue Whale – the largest animal that has ever lived on our planet.
Like most little boys, my son Daniel loved to listen to bedtime stories. The best stories always had pictures. His favourite book was, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Inspired by Sendak’s book, I set out on my own quest, to illustrate the story of Dan’s search for the Blue Whale.
Who was Maurice Sendak? Now deceased (died in 2012), was an American author and children’s book illustrator. Where the Wild Things Are is one of his books, amongst others, that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up.
I wanted to write a picture book for my son while at the same time, share my love of nature with others. Through my pictures I have endeavored to make my book beautiful with each turn of the page brining a new discovery. The story is short but many important lessons are seen throughout – tenacity, endurance, hope, and friendship.
I strongly recommend reading it on an ipad where you can zoom in to the drawing and see the wonderful colours and details it has.
Alexander McCarthy