A friend recommended "When the Whale Dies" to me, so I decided to read it✨️
It's rare for a picture book to deal with the theme of "death," so some people may be worried about whether it's okay to let children read it. However, in reality, it seems that children are very interested in "death," an object that they rarely encounter in their daily lives.
How to convey life I felt that this book gave me an opportunity to think about this.
In this article, we will introduce basic information and the plot of "When the Whale Dies," as well as our impressions after reading it, the appropriate age range for reading aloud, and how to purchase it.
I hope this will be helpful for those who are wondering, "I'd like to read it, but what's it like?"
basic information
- Title: "When the Whale Dies"
- Author: Eguchi Eri (text)
- Illustration: Kawasaki Shunichi
- Publisher: Doshinsha
Awards
"When the Whale Dies" was highly praised immediately after its publication and has been selected for numerous awards and selections.
This track record shows that this picture book is popular with many readers and educators.
- 56th Kodansha Picture Book Award (2025)
- 16th Kindergarten Picture Book Award (2025)
- 1st place in "Kinobes! Kids 2025"
- 1st NIC Bookstore Picture Book Award (2025)
- Selected as one of the "50 Picture Books of 2025" nationwide SLA
Given that it has won so many awards, it can be said that this book is more than just a piece of reading material; it is widely recognized as a book that people want to share with children.
Synopsis
The mysterious connection of life that begins at the end of life for creatures living in the harsh world of the deep sea
50 to 100 years is an incredibly long time, but it will definitely come to an end at some point.
The creatures that live on the whale bones will eventually have to find another place to live and eat.
Is it possible to conveniently encounter a large sunken whale in such a vast ocean?
However, just as there are stars in the dark universe,
Even for creatures that set out on aimless journeys from the depths of the ocean, there is always a light somewhere.
If this were not the case, the creatures that gather around whales would not have been able to continue to produce offspring and survive.
This is a picture book that tells the story of a brief feast of creatures living in the harsh world of the deep sea.
The project was supervised by Yoshihiro Fujiwara of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.
review
Even though it is quiet, the state of life is depicted from each perspective, and it was a very interesting read✨️✨️
The children (3rd grade and 1st grade elementary school)
"Giant isopods look really big, but they're only about the size of my mom's right and left legs put together. They're not as big as I thought."
In response to that, I
"No, if anything, it would be scary to be near an insect this big."
Or,
"When you spread both legs of a spider crab, it's 3 meters long, which is more than the size of two of you (the eldest daughter). It's too big lol."
There were a lot of fun comments like this ✨️
When we actually read the story to the children, they were completely drawn into the world of the sea.
The target age range is toddlers to early elementary school students, but it is also a thought-provoking book for adults.
Personally, I think the life story of the bone-eating worm, "surviving by eating whale bones," is quite a gamble (lol).
Is it really possible to reach a whale bone so easily?
When I think about it, I feel grateful once again for the abundance I have: "At least we have a home. We have rice. We have electricity and water."
Target age and best age to read "When the Whale Dies"
"When the Whale Dies" deals with somewhat difficult themes on the theme of death, but the fact that it has won numerous awards shows that it is a picture book that will resonate with children.
What is particularly noteworthy is that it won the 16th Kindergarten Picture Book Award (2025). This is proof that it is highly regarded as a picture book for kindergarteners (ages 3-6). It is clear that it has been well received by many kindergarteners in actual reading sessions.
Also,Selected as one of the "50 Picture Books of 2025" nationwide SLAThe Kodansha Picture Book Award (2025) means that the book will be recommended for reading education in elementary schools and in school libraries. Elementary school lower grades to middle grades (ages 6-10) This is a picture book that is worth reading and thinking about for yourself.
Summary: Recommended age range
- Perfect for reading aloud → Middle to senior year (4-6 years old)
- Recommended to read on your own → Elementary school lower grades to middle grades (ages 6-10)
- Content that resonates even with adults
👉 This is a picture book that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people, from toddlers to elementary school students, but especially "Reading aloud is for ages 4 and up." However, this is considered to be the appropriate age for children to read it with peace of mind.
Afterword
It was a wonderful picture book that allowed me to feel the mysterious atmosphere of the deep sea from the cover to every page✨️
How would you explain the topic of death and life to your children?
Please pick up a picture book and think about it.
御礼💖
このブログを記した後日、作者の江口さんから「いいね💖」をいただきました。
作品への想いが届いたようで、とても嬉しかったです。ありがとうございます。
Reference Links
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👉 Check out "When the Whale Dies" on Amazon
江口絵里さん instagram
Eri Eguchi's note
Doshinsha HP
Doshinsha note
There are other images provided by Kawasaki Shunichi other than those posted on X, and the color usage is interesting. There is also information about the bone-eating beetle exhibit.
Kawasaki Shunichi X
The artist showed us the original drawings he made up until the piece was completed. It's so nice to get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of this production!
