PELORUS JACK

Pattison presents a true story for kids about a friendly New Zealand dolphin who became famous throughout the world.

For 24 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a playful dolphin swam alongside every ship that crossed the six-mile stretch of Pelorus Sound near New Zealand. Sailors soon named this dolphin Pelorus Jack. Notable figures, including American author Mark Twain and the English Duke and Duchess of York came to observe Jack’s antics. Jack’s fame grew so large that unscrupulous collectors offered a reward for him to be delivered to them. After establishing Jack’s exact species, the New Zealand government passed a law specifically to protect him. Pattison tells Jack’s story in measured prose, which is straightforward enough for older children to understand. For the most part, the text is in simple black or white, but on one occasion, the color is integrated poetically with illustrator Dooley’s images. Golden lettering reads, “he was simply / one blaze / of golden light... / a mass of living gold... / racing and chasing, / leaping / and plunging”; it matches the bubbling sparkle of Jack’s illustrated passage through the water. Dooley brings the setting to life, offering lifelike portraits against evocative watercolor backgrounds of blue and grey. Jack remains enigmatic, yet dances with personality.

A sweet and vivid historical tale.