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Whale, That Was Unexpected
  • Published: 29 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781774883617
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 48
  • RRP: $50.00

Whale, That Was Unexpected

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A classic but contemporary tale for 3-to-7-year-olds featuring a hilariously grumpy seafarer and her trusty dog sidekick who get swallowed by a whale. For fans of Caldecott Honor books Bear Came Along and Leave Me Alone.

A classic but contemporary tale for 3-to-7-year-olds featuring a hilariously grumpy seafarer and her trusty dog sidekick who get swallowed by a whale. For fans of Caldecott Honor books Bear Came Along and Leave Me Alone.

Stoic seafarer Maude and her canine sidekick Claude head out to fish as they have done every day for many years. But this time, something unexpected happens. (Maude hates it when something unexpected happens.)

They get swallowed by a whale. What does one do when one is swallowed by a whale? Throw a farewell party, I guess. (Maude loves a good party.)

Hilarity ensues as more and more creatures get swallowed and Maude has to keep changing her party plans. (Maude does not love crowds.)

Will Maude and the whale part ways, or is this the end? (Maude would prefer it if we could hurry this up.)

Okay, okay. Read on to find out.
  • Published: 29 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781774883617
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 48
  • RRP: $50.00
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About the authors

Casey Lyall

CASEY LYALL lives in Southwestern Ontario where she also works at her local library (and waits for management to discover they're actually paying her to have fun). When she's not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends. Casey is the author of Vampire Jam Sandwhich, A Spoonful of Frogs, Gnome Is Where the Heart Is and the humorous middle-grade mystery series Howard Wallace, P.I.
CL

Kathryn Durst

KATHRYN DURST is a graduate of Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. She has a background in animation, having interned with Pixar Animation Studios. Kathryn has illustrated numerous children's books, including You're In Good Paws, the Polite Predators books and the #1 New York Times bestseller from Paul McCartney, Hey Grandude! When she is not illustrating books, she can be found playing the accordion, growing vegetables, folk dancing or putting on shadow puppet shows. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her grumpy mini dachshund named Chili Dog.
portrait photo of Kathryn Durst

Praise for Whale, That Was Unexpected

PRAISE FOR A Spoonful of Frogs written by Casey Lyall:
"An all-seasons recipe for storytime success as readers will root for the frazzled witch to work her way out of a hilarious pickle." —Starred Review, Booklist

"Lyall's spare, mostly restrained text uses ear-pleasing, catch-phrase-worthy repetition and variation ("Put. The FROGS. On. The SPOON") while Brosgol's retro-chic, increasingly frazzled digital illustrations are a chef’s-kiss of comic timing." —Starred Review, The Horn Book

"Frog Soup [is] 'a witch's favorite treat' . . . The glamorous witch filming this TV segment, however, quickly discovers that frogs are not the easiest thing to get onto a spoon. . . . Surefire ingredients for a giggly storytime." —Starred Review, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books