What a charming little tale, beautifully written and stunning illustrations by Vanistendael. The script by Zidrou has gorgeous imagery and the theme of grief is reflected throughout, I adored the ideas of grief in nature who mourns the trees that fall from the tree? who weeps when the sun sets? I loved the writing so much so I have written this quote to savour again and again "We learn to tell stories for the same reason we learn to swim. To keep from drowning".

Such beautiful book! The story itself was quite touching, albeit tragic. Though by far my favorite part was the gorgeous art. The little fantasy world of literate-minded sea creatures imparted through the illustrations makes for absolutely wonderful imagery.

I would definitely be happy to add this as a great and unique addition to my library's graphic novel collection.

Wow. I did not know what to expect going into reading this graphic novel, but I am SOOOOOOOOOO impressed! The story was so unique and so beautifully told - it was one of those stories that you listen to around a campfire, or while sitting on a porch swing watching the waves crash on the beach below you. It has a certain air of comfort and magic that has you believing that the story is real, even when you know logically that it is not. The drawings were very organic and gritty, which I loved - it made the story feel even more real. The nudity was a bit surprising, but it added to the realness of the novel, so I didn't mind. You could really tell that the author took pride in how the story was portrayed in the book. This book is one of those fast reads that you find yourself thinking about for days after - definitely a must read!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful and tragic book!

It has a similar tone as The Little Prince, whose author is referenced in this book. It's a short and sweet book about some of my favorite things: mail, whales, and books. The drawings are rough and beautiful. You can tell it's a European book because it's a bit more graphic than an American book would be.

We follow a mail delivery man who finds the whale library and shares his experiences with her. It's a thoughtful and beautiful read.

Such a cute little story, bit sad but lot more heart warming. The art work is stunning. Such bright colors, such easy drawing that ISAs poetic as the story it portrays.

4.5/5
This was so incredibly beautiful, my heart is broken! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book.
First of all, the writing is flowery and poetic and so immensely beautiful. I am so glad that I discovered this author because the way they write is stunning.
The art is gorgeous and I feel that the art style matches the writing perfectly. Forgive me, I'm not an artist, but it looked like watercolour paintings (or something close to it) and I couldn't stop staring at them, trying to take in every detail.
It's a very unique story! I've never read anything quite like it and I adored it. In all honesty, I'd never even thought about sea mail before and that also added interest to the story.
The characters are engaging and loveable from the start, even without a lot of time to get to know them. The whale and the words it spoke alone were enough to break my heart. The questions it asked were beautiful and I wish I could read more of their friendship.
The end! I won't share any spoilers, but let me just say my heart has been absolutely ripped in two. I won't lie, I did expect it, but I still was not prepared. I also have salty tears!

Beautiful drawings and a concept I just adore. The reverence for the sharing of knowledge and honoring traditions was so powerful. I loved the illustrations although there unnecessary nudity in the middle that was shocking and really threw me off. There is also some violence which was necessary for the plot but so sad.

Thanks to Netgalley for access. All opinions are my own.

Wow this is amazing.

Basically it's a fairy tale for adults. But it is so much more than that.

I'll admit I have never heard of the authors before this. But wow this is awesome.

The art work and use of colour is excellent. And the story really connects you to the characters.

It's great, give it a go.

A lovely but melancholy graphic novel about a whale with a library in her belly and a postman she befriends one night while he's delivering mail. This story was short, sweet, and beautifully illustrated.

So pleased that Europe comics continue to bring stories into English. I am never disappointed and in the work of Zidrou his translated words still carry poetic energy and the ability to bless and challenge his adult audience.

Comics mean different things for people of all ages. They can be a fun way into reading or by the combination of words and pictures can reach you, in forgotten places, and open new vistas on the world of literature.

Here is a story that champions the power of books. The importance of libraries and the keepers of our stories.

Wisdom perhaps as Jonah found is in the belly of a great fish.

With exquisite drawing and colourful illustrations we are able to enter the whale and behold the vast selection of books to borrow and read. What lessons it teaches us in one’s quest for knowledge; within a whale books containing the wisdom of the world. A gentle creature keen to learn more and share stories with others across the vast ocean depths.

I found the book unsettling in its reality. The seasons in nature and the cycle of life. The ignorance of humankind is captured like the image of a speeding motorist. Frustration at being caught, angry, ready and willing to destroy the camera.

For as we destroy habitats, pollute the seas and damage our environment we loose the knowledge of the rain forest and blight a planet that can not be replaced in our modern “disposable” society.

The beauty of this book is it is allegorical, it says far less than so have alluded to, but it spoke to my heart.

It’s message may be differently received by you or transform your imagination beyond my own understanding as it is a story for this time and for each of us.

We may get fed up with global warming and carbon zero talk. But this is our story today. Here is the concept of writing our own story and improving and ensuring a much better ending.

A wonderful imagination in it’s truest form, enveloped in a constellation of curiosity, wonder, love, and the magic of storytelling. I absolutely loved this story!! In tandem with captivating, gorgeous, colorful watercolors, I deeply dove into this whale tale of a seafaring postman and loving husband who comes across the largest underwater library.

A story that highlights the fleetingness of life and nature and demonstrates the worlds that books offer their readers.

With an unexpected ending and adult anecdotes, this book would be wonderful for older fans of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Chales Mackesy.

The art was absolutely gorgeous, such beautiful colours, I just loved it. The story itself was whimsical and a little odd, but I felt swept along by it and the eventual heartache hit me in precisely the way it’s supposed to. The little library in the whale was such a wonderfully weird idea, the artwork for those pages was easily my favourite. I think there are probably some metaphors that went right over my head, but it was well worth picking up!

From the description alone, I could tell The Whale Library by Zidrou & Judith Vanistendael wasn’t going to be a happy book. Partly a poetry book, partly something akin to a children’s storybook, this is an interesting story with a message about living on for somebody when grieving and possibly a dash of a message about animal cruelty perhaps. It also touches on missing important milestones due to work, and watching progress destroy tradition. Aside from a bit of a sad ending (which I’m sure you can surmise through my vagueness) and a bit of nudity, this is a sweet book, and could possibly be suitable for some older kids. It’s very light despite a few heavy themes and is beautifully drawn with what I assume are watercolor paintings. It doesn’t dwell on anything sad, because the whale doesn’t like happy endings. – it ends in a hopeful mood about moving on and living your best life.

“A poetic fable for grown-ups full of wisdom and beauty, by two Belgian masters of graphic storytelling.
Out on the high seas lives a whale unlike any other, who spends her days reading stories to all who will listen, taken from the vast library hidden in her belly. When the whale bumps into a sea postman’s boat one fateful night, it’s the beginning of an extraordinary friendship. But not every story can have a happy ending…”


I enjoyed this book, but it is somewhat short. Much like another book by Europe Comics, Balbuzar, this is a book that sits in a untapped market for the most part – storybooks for adults. Usually less word-heavy and more ephemeral than traditional graphic novels, they usually thrive on their gorgeous full-page interior art pieces, and this is no exception. If you are looking for something different, or enjoy stories about seafaring and boats, I would recommend this to you.

A lovely graphic novel that has a great plot and artwork! I will definitely be sharing this with my students as they are in love with great stories!

Overall, I found this to be a mixed bag as the story started off strong and I loved the idea of the book loving whale and the connection she made with the postman. It seemed like a delightful fable. However as the book progressed into it’s heartbreaking conclusion, the narrative lost it’s way and just left me feeling disappointed as it felt rushed. The illustrations made a bigger impact on me than the story, I loved the colour washed backgrounds, the panels of the library inside the whale were stunning. The anti-whaling message was more poignant from the illustrations.

I’ve increased my rating due to the quality of the artwork.

Magnificent! So imaginative but really real and emotional at the same time! The art is just stunning! A masterpiece!

The Whale Library is a beautiful story about a postal carrier for the sea mail, who delivers mail to ships, islands, and other places not reachable overland. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and create a flow to the story whether it is on land or sea. My favorite images are the imaginative ones of the library inside the whale with an octopus librarian and shelving nestled in the whale bones. Some of the illustrations do depict nudity that I predict will be a problem for some American parents, but they were not graphic or inappropriate by most standards. The ending may be a little too sad for some very young children. I loved this book and plan to buy a copy for myself when it comes out in print.

The painted art is very pretty but I found this story confusing and silly. It seems to be an adult fairy tale with a gratuitously sad ending but I also didn't understand what the point of it was. Whaling is bad? Was the library inside the whale a metaphor for something? Who's the audience for this? It's too kiddie-like for adults yet it's too sad and obscure to be popular among kids. What a weird, pointlessly grim story.

This was a beautiful story, i mean the words were, the pictures painted were and that ending i felt like crying. I usually do not cry over these types of sotries but this one was one i would now be able to count for.

While reading this i felt calm and happy... then laughed at a part i was not expecting which was great, then saddness happens and tears came, however the ending felt like it was a nice way to spend.

Thank you Netgalley! this was a splendid read.

The illustrations were beautiful in this book. This is a children’s book and I do feel that some of the illustrations are not what American children would be accustomed to seeing.
I like the way the author started out the story about the whale and books. But then it jumped to mail delivery and it seemed as if there was no nice transition. After reading for a while, I could figure out the route the story was taking. I was hoping for a happy ending for the whale.
The story was also very descriptive. Almost too descriptive with the whale parts falling down into the ocean.
The flow of the book and some of the visuals, I just don’t feel would be good for the American audience.