The Whale Child

Shiny is a whale child. One day his mother teaches him about the harm facing the world's oceans because of human carelessness. Shiny agrees to be turned into a boy by the ocean's water spirit so he can visit the land and alert people to these dangers. He meets Alex, a young girl who learns from Shiny that the living spirit of water exists in everything--glaciers, rivers, oceans, rain, plants and all living creatures. Together the two travel the earth, confronting the realities of a planet threatened by an uncertain future. Inspired by Shiny's hope, humor, and ancestral wisdom, Alex makes the promise to become a teacher for future generations. She realizes that the timeless Native American value of environmental stewardship is needed now more than ever, and that we must all stand up on behalf of mother earth.