Andrew Plant, Stardiving, Ford Street Publishing, April 2022, 32 pp., RRP $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781922696021
Young sperm whale, Fluke, longs to see the glowing, gleaming, glimmering stars that the dolphins are chitter-chattering about, but clouds mask the night sky. “Dive into the dark and cold,” rumbles the great bull whale, Cachalot. “Dive to where no star has ever shone.” And it is there, in the deepest, darkest depths of the mysterious, majestic ocean, that young Fluke encounters an indescribable luminescence … and his own magical, marvellous abilities.
Pared back text and a palette bursting with every possible shade of blue-black-green combine for a powerful reading experience for ages 6+, gently encouraging them to look inwards and outwards, stepping into their limitless potential while stepping up to look after the environment. It’s an important message for all of us. Stardiving, anyone?
A deceptively simple tale about the power of discovery and the indescribable possibilities that life offers if readers dare to dream.
Teaching notes are available at the publisher’s website.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
