- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Comedy
Whale, That Was Unexpected
When crusty fisherwoman Maude and her dog Claude are swallowed by a whale, Maude simply throws a farewell party, then keeps rewriting the guest list as more creatures tumble in. A cumulative, fourth-wall-breaking read-aloud with bags of dry wit.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length48 pp
- Read aloud~10 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Rhyming
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Whimsical
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Every day, weather-beaten fisherwoman Maude and her scruffy dog Claude head out to sea in their bright yellow waterproofs, and every day is much the same, until the morning their little boat is swallowed whole by a whale. Unfazed, Maude decides that if this is the end, they may as well throw a farewell party. But no sooner has she made her plans than another creature is gulped down to join them: a crab, an octopus, a musty little goat, a sea lion, a puffin, each new arrival forcing Maude to change the party all over again, and to have a few sharp words with the narrator about how her story is being told. Casey Lyall's spirited, cumulative rhyming text crackles with deadpan, fourth-wall-breaking humour, while Kathryn Durst's charcoal-and-gouache illustrations give Maude and Claude enormous personality. A gloriously silly, star-reviewed sea story with attitude, made for lively, laugh-out-loud reading aloud.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A high-energy, laugh-out-loud read-aloud for 3-7s, with the wordplay rewarding new readers to about 8. There is no real peril despite the whale, so it suits most listeners, though its noisy comedy makes it a daytime romp rather than a wind-down bedtime story.
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- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny read aloud
- Silly stories
- Sea adventures
- Animal lovers
Avoid if
- Wants calm bedtime
- Wants gentle quiet story
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The daft idea of being swallowed by a whale and deciding to have a party is instantly funny, and the joy of guessing which creature will tumble in next keeps the giggles building. Best of all, Maude keeps bossing the narrator around, which children find hilarious.
- Surviving danger
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The cumulative rhyme and Maude's deadpan arguments with the narrator make this a performer's dream to read aloud, with plenty of dry wit pitched at the grown-up too. Durst's characterful art and the guess-the-next-guest structure earn it a spot in the repeat pile.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
About the creators
About the creators.
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