Home › Books for Ages 9–12 › Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

by Lynn Brunelle

A whale’s death becomes the beginning of a deep-sea ecosystem

Regular price $17.71 USD
Regular price $29.52 USD Sale price $17.71 USD
Save 40%

Hardcover New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Robert F. Sibert Medal winner

    The source identifies the book as a winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal.

  • Editorial selection

    Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

    Named a Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A whale’s death becomes the beginning of a deep-sea ecosystem

Lynn Brunelle traces what happens as a blue whale’s body sinks from the ocean surface to the seafloor, where it provides food and shelter for a succession of organisms. The account follows the whale fall across its stages, from the newly sunk body to a skeleton, and over a span described as a century or more. The book connects this little-known marine process with the broader cycle of life, while its back matter adds information and further reading on whales, whale falls, and ecosystems.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children interested in whales, ocean life, and ecosystems
  • Young readers curious about how animal remains support other life
  • Readers exploring the natural cycle of life and death

Themes

Whale falls and deep-sea ecosystemsInterdependence in natureLife, death, and renewal

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal

Follow a blue whale's enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish.


All living things must one day die, and Earth's largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond.

Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin's astonishing artwork enriches and amplifies engaging, well-researched text by Bill Nye the Science Guy writer Lynn Brunelle. Young lovers of the macabre will relish each page of Life After Whale. Meanwhile, those grappling with the hard subject of death will take solace in this honest look at the circle of life, which closes on a young whale enjoying the same waves as her ancestor. Additional back pages offer further info and reading recommendations on whales, whale falls, and ecosystems.

An Orbis Pictus Honor Book
Winner of the Bank Street Cook Prize!
One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for Older Readers
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
A CLA Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
An Evanston Public Library Blueberry Honor Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews