I Lived Inside a Whale
For ages 4+
A breathtakingly illustrated and relatable empathy story.
By Xin Li (Little, Brown & Company, 2024)
My all time favourite Children’s picture book creators are The Fan Brothers (The Night Gardener, Ocean Meets Sky, The Barnabus Project, It Fell From The Sky, + more). I can NEVER wait until these US/Canada published editions are picked up for the UK - I preorder them well in advance and get myself a beautiful first edition overseas hardback every time. AND this is EXACTLY what I did with ‘I Lived Inside a Whale’ - having followed Xin Li for some time on social media, as soon as she started dropping hints of this book, I was hot on the case, and wow, does it take your breath away - it’s absolutely STUNNING!
Xin Li (李莘 in Chinese, and pronounced as “sheen Lee”) was born and raised in China, but now lives with in Norway. Both an illustrator and writer, she’s an absolute rising super nova in the Children’s publishing world. Less than a month after her own debut picture book published, she has also illustrated Lucy Hawking (and her late father’s) Children’s picture book, ‘You and the Universe’ (Puffin, 2024), in time for Earth Day. Xin Li cites many influences on her website including: Shaun Tan, Maurice Sendak, Jackie Morris, The Fan Brothers and many more greats…
So, what a treat this book is. Just opening out the dust jacket to reveal the exclusive to hardback illustrations on the outer book cover, I’m forgetting to breathe! The artwork is absolutely beautiful - a palette of vivid pinks, blues, earthy oranges and browns, bright yellows, and of course the adorably illustrated main character of East and Southeast Asian representation alongside many other groups represented in this inclusive story. As an aside, I happen to have a little obsession with Children’s picture books about whales… so honestly, zap, zap, zap, I’m bursting with glee about ‘I Lived Inside a Whale’.
Emma is a little girl who finds the world a very chaotic and noisy space - both inside and out! Cars honking on the road outside her home, sirens wailing, or even the noise of children having fun playing - joyful, but frustrating and hard to escape. Emma loves to read her whale book, you’ll find her in the book corner, grimacing in the general direction of all the other kids who are laughing and chatting. If only she could disappear into a world of quiet and solitude to read her books! That’s it! She has had enough so she makes a boat, she makes a huge whale’s mouth on the wall and in she goes, inside her imagination, inside the belly of a whale, all cosy and calm at last… until one of the kids invades her peace, shattering her daydream, bringing her back to reality. His curiosity about her, why she is so quiet, doesn’t join in and doesn’t like noise, why she likes reading are all so intrusive at first, but eventually Emma finds her own voice (thanks to her new friend).
Another great storyteller is born, meet Emma everyone!!!! (Round of applause!!) … Thanks to the boy’s empathy skills that helps to bring Emma out of her shell and comfort zone, Emma finds a way to interact with other children using her own coping mechanism (books and stories), and play. Not every child finds it easy to transition into a pre-school or school setting after being at home. Their sense of control over their environment suddenly disappears, and they are so lost in maintaining ‘normal’ that they often need a kind soul to help them integrate. Such a stunning book that feels like a true story.
Praise
"I Lived Inside a Whale is a touching and beautifully illustrated tale of finding refuge in a story, discovering unlikely allies and sharing one's voice with the world... I Lived Inside a Whale has a moment for every reader, making it perfect for storytime or bedtime or any time in between. We could all use a little vacation these days, and I Lived Inside a Whale is a great escape, no matter your age." - Bookpage, starred review
"An inspiring, unexpected interior journey."- Publishers Weekly
"Cozy artwork visually depicts both the cacophony of the world and the young narrator's flights of fancy. This is a gentle, relatable story about a child with sensory sensitivity finding a way to forge connections with others. A sweet, contemplative tale of friendship and discovering one's voice." - Kirkus Reviews
"The transportive power of books... and the story's supportive friendship theme makes this a doubly good pick for library and classroom sharing."- Booklist
Reviewed from self-purchased hardback copy.
