A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ida and the Whale is the story of Ida, who lives in a treehouse and does lots of thinking. One day, Ida is awoken by a flying whale outside her house who offers to take her on a journey through the cosmos and off they go on an adventure.
This is a sweet story about the two characters' adventures, although sometimes they are a little bit meandering. I have to say though that my favourite part about this story was the illustrations, which are beautifully done.
Lovely illustrations carry this picture book. 3.5 stars.

A beautifully illustrated and magical story that students will enjoy. Full of creativity that may inspire students to think about think big and ask questions.

Ida and the Whale by Rebecca Granger is a whimsical book, encouraging very young children to ask questions and wonder. The illustrations are lovely, and overall the book is nice. There just isn't much to the actual story. Best suited for toddlers.

Ida meets a giant flying whale and sets off on his back for an imaginative adventure beyond the stars. The illustrations were really pretty. This book would make a good bedtime story for children. It was cute, but not one of my favorites.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Ida asks the tough questions from the world around her and sets out to explore to find the answers. I love children's books with lessons and books that lea to more reading or researching and I think this book fit the bill for sure. I enjoyed reading this title with my kids and they enjoyed it also.

Thank you North South Books Inc and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you #netgalley for my copy of this book to review. I requested this book because of the beautiful color illustrations and was pleased that the illustrations throughout were just as exquisite. My kids and I enjoyed reading this story and it has become a wonderful part of our bedtime routine.

The first time I saw the whale on the page I was in love with this book., what imagination to have a flying whale!
I thought Upside down world was done fabulously and was really tricky to the eye which I think will be a lot of fun for children. I feel that it has a very deep message that may go over the heads of some children, but it is ok because the adventure that Ida and the Whale go on will be enough for those children.
It is a book that celebrates that we all grow at our own rate, it celebrates us being who we are and I think that is an important message for children and adults.
One of my most favourite parts of the book is about sharing the silence or being silent around other people and what you can get out of it. I think this is a valuable lesson and the younger you learn it the better. So much can be said in silence.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book. They are so beautiful and colorful. I think kids would love looking at this book without there even being text. The story works well.

This was one book that I thought looked interesting frmo the cover and had no idea the direction it was going to go. Intrigued yes, surpised a bit and captivated, not as much.

The story started off basically as much an esape realism story from the start, which meant to me there wasn't much of a leap from where it was to where it was going. Unlike "Where the Wild Things Are", the reader only relates via the mind and how it thinks.

As a result the trip is wondrous and almost a fantasy without being true fantasy. The reader explores concepts that may give them other points-of-view in real life if they are open to them and these are shown by changes to the fonts such as being upside-down, wavy, fading off, etc. If anything these were the parts of the reading that I looked forward to the most.

The actual writing itself was decent but didn't give much to the reader. It explained the concept of thinking and gave the reader a chance to understand a bit but at the same time it was a bit disjointed so ended up losing me just as much as I went forward.

The illustrations were unique but were similar to the writing. There was too much white space in some areas and in other areas the pictures filled the space completely. Some were also a bit too dark even to get a concept across.

The bright red hair of the main protagonist is what anchors the reader to the before and after event. Meanwhile small details will charm many who like the illustrations as when they are given there is nothing really to hold back the details.

My favorite illustration point, though, was the front and back which were decorated to look like the walls of the house. In the beginning there is only one display for the reader while the rest is an open wall and at the end it has been filled with other displays to remind the little girl of what she learned. Will she truly remember some of these ideas when she is older, though, is another story altogether.

All in all I don't think that I would go out to buy the book for my collection since of my combined likes and dislikes of it. Instead I may borrow it from like a library or a website to read to a younger audience to help possibly lead a discussion about changing one's perspective but that would be about it.

***I received access to a copy of this book in exchange for a free review.***

A delightful dreamy book from the wispy illustrations to the whimsy story. This is fun and entertaining.

This book is cute as a bug's ear! Whales are my favorites. :) I especially loved seeing Ida get to be friends with the whale. I always wanted to be friends with a whale when I was a child! I would definitely buy this for the children in my life - or for my future children!

That said, it wasn't super fresh.

I requested this originally because the cover is beautiful. I have 2 children and so I am always looking for particularly beautiful books to add to our collection. As far as the illustrations go, this one really delivered. It is colorful and whimsical and I loved it. Th employ itself was a little strange for a children’s book however. I think it’s a little bit deeper than I was looking for for my children’s particular age group. Really, really lovely illustrations though.

First of all, the cover is very well done. It was what drew me first; the art and illustration. To me, it has a dreamy and calming effect.

This book promotes daydreaming, which I think is extremely important for children. It’s great for their brain development in the creativity section.

Whales swim, right? In this book, they fly! Okay, so they fly around the world? Nope, THIS whale flies to the stars! In just a few pages the authors will effectively spark curiosity. This will encourage little ones to think outside the box, persuade them to be brave and defy norms, and let them know it’s okay.

This book is unlike other books that have a single main theme to concentrate upon the whole book. This book’s ‘main theme’ is abstract thinking and daydreaming. It jumps from one topic to another in the turn of a page. So, effectively, there are multiple lessons packed in a single book. Every time your little one opens the book, she might learn something new, according to her experience that day. It teaches to view from others’ perspectives. It teaches the fundamental rock of science that is observation, and so much more.

At the very end of the book, there is a very nice and cute summation of the things pointed out in the book, in the concept of ‘a ship in a bottle’.

The illustrations are beautiful. I love the quite minimalistic style that contrasts to Idas bright red hair and her yellow boots. And all the shades of blue, truly marvelous! It captures the atmosphere really well. Unfortunately, the story isn't that good. The plot is quite abstract and too philosophical for a childrens book .I don't see the point of Idas journey.

Inspiring and imaginative, this book could be used to spark the creativity and dreams of young children. With magical illustrations and the thoughts of Ida we are taken on a journey as she tries to answer some of the big questions in her mind.

As a story it doesn’t make a huge amount of sense, but do the thoughts of a child always make sense? Expressing the dreams and thoughts of a lonely young girl, guided by a whale who appears at her window, this story is touching and reflective.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What a lovely and adorable, little book! “Ida and the Whale” is a sweet and entertaining tale of a little girl called Ida who lives alone in a tree-house and her new friend, the flying whale.

When I opened this wonderful book, my first thoughts were how absolutely gorgeously it had been illustrated by Simon Röthlisberger.

The book is cute and charming yet still evokes so much mood and emotion. The author, Rebecca Gugger tells the story very well and the use of vocabulary and the dialogue are strong.

This whimsical book communicates a positive message about feelings, normality and loneliness. The text is straight-forward and easy to understand for small ones and it is nicely complemented by good, strong artwork. The book is very well balanced between the story and the message it delivers.

I found the story of “Ida and the Whale” entertaining and winsome and I would definitely recommend it. I think it would make a lovely choice for anyone looking for an addition to their family library.

Thank you to NetGalley and North South Books Inc. for the complimentary ARC. This is my honest and totally voluntary opinion.

A fairly philosophical picture book. Its a reflection on making an effort, reaching for a dream. It doesn't have a plot, per se. It's more of a conversation, thoughts on an issue rather than events and reactions. Truly lovely art, though.

One of the beautiful things about children is their curiosity about the world around them. “Ida and the Whale” takes a young mind on a journey to answer some of her important life questions. These illustrations were gorgeous and stretched the limits of the imagination.

“Ida and the Whale” is delightful. The illustrations by Simon Röthlisberger are simply gorgeous. The colors, depth, and detail really carry the whole book. The storyline by Rebecca Gugger is fun and fantastical. Full of whimsy and adventure that are sure to spark the imagination of readers at any age.

'Ida and the Whale' by Rebecca Gugger with illustrations by Simon Rothlisberger is a kind of magical picture book about a little girl with an unusual friend.

Ida is a little girl that lives in a treehouse and wonders what is beyond the sun and stars. One night, she is awakened by a loud thump and wakes to find a large whale outside her window. As they fly and talk they visit strange worlds and learn that things like flowers die so they can live again. Ida learns that if you feel lonely, you still can have a friend who thinks of you.

Does it make any sense? Not so much, but the illustrations are magical and the story is still strangely touching. I think a book like this can really spark the imagination and dreams of a young reader.

I received a review copy of this ebook from NorthSouth Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.