The Ocean's Garden

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

In what is obviously a labor of love, Daniel Porter has written a story
about three whales who are modeled on his own three children.

A narwhale, a humpback, and a beluga whale are good friends and love to
play together in the ocean’s garden. One day when the two youngest
whales forget to be careful, the humpback is caught by a giant squid.
The narwhale comes to the rescue, but instead of using her tusk to
pierce the squid’s side, she lays it on him and its magical powers
tickle the squid so that all sea creatures collapse in laughter. All is
then forgiven and everyone lives happily ever after in the garden.

This little book falls far short of its aim to teach children about
living together in harmony and about the variety and wonder of sea
creatures. Its message is too didactic, its vocabulary too bland, and
its pictures are too clumsy to delight children who are not family
members. While Porter is to be commended for his attempt to impart his
joy in the ocean environment, the story doesn’t work well enough to
capture a child’s imagination. Not recommended.