Big Whiskers Saves the Cove

Agnes C. Farrell is an elementary-school teacher in Richmond, B.C.

Set in a community called Deep Cove on the West Coast of British
Columbia, this story is about four children who befriend a seal they
name Big Whiskers and a heron they name Hilda. When they find a sick
heron chick and many dead fish, the children become convinced that
something is polluting the water. They call upon Captain Jim, who works
at the boatyard and is a “regular Mr. Fix-it.” But even Captain Jim
can’t find the problem until Big Whiskers leads him to a broken pipe
with sludge oozing out of it.

This book offers lessons on the interdependence of species. For
example, Hilda feeds her chicks on the minnow that Big Whiskers chases
into shore. Though Big Whiskers is portrayed in an anthropomorphic
fashion, he will probably appeal to children between the ages of 6 and
9.

The illustrations are colorful and detailed, but would have been more
representative of the B.C. coast had one of the children been depicted
as a First Nations character. Recommended with reservations.