Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. It was really informative and even though this book is marketing for middle grade readers I think that people of all ages will love this book and should read it.

I actually went to school for biology and took a few classes on Marine Biology so I knew a lot of facts that were already included in this book but that did not stop my enjoyment of the book and I still learned a lot of new information.

Overall, I absolutely loved reading about Springer's story and I hope that this book inspires readers to want to take better care of our oceans and ocean life like this book inspired me.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. Orca Rescue is about the only successful orca rescue. It takes place in 2002, in the Puget Sound. Since I live in Seattle and care about animals, I was excited to read this book. Donna Sandstorm helped in the rescue, and recounts what happened. I love reading books about animals and learning more about them. This book includes a map showing Springer's trip, tips for how to help whales and dolphins, and also a glossary.

Kids Can Press really have top notch books for children; I am officially sold!

I loved this book so much! You can tell it has been research edited and crafted with so much care from a team that knows how to educate kids and very awesome adults as well if I may say so myself. We learn so much about underwater life and whales and orcas with tons of fun facts, resources, glossary as well as stunning artwork that made this for a remarkable read.

I would love to purchase this for my kid and I think that says a lot! :D

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kinds Can Press for a lovely animal book full of warmth and facts! Beautiful and powerful combination that does not go unnoticed.

Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars
I don't usually rate non-fiction, but this was so delightful, how can I not?

This was the most delightful children's non-fiction about the only orphaned orca who has been returned to her family. This story tells the story of Springer, an orca who was discovered alone, hundreds of miles south of her pod, in the waterways near Seattle, and how the people of Canada and the US came together to get her home.

This is written by a woman who was involved in her rescue, but was not one of the scientists. It includes other pieces of background information about orcas that gets a little bit into their culture within pods, the different ecosystems of orcas, as well as the capture/kill era and the first orca that was attempted to be returned to the wild, Keiko.

Overall this is a heartwarming story told with beautiful illustrations on each spread of pages. I loved it and will be looking to add this to my collection. Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fascinating read! I love Orcas, or Killer Whales as they are colloquially known, and I loved reading about the rescue of this poor baby.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.

It's all thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC. And to my closes friend for making me fall in love with Orca❤

It's a heartwarming and inspiring true story. It teaches us about humanity as we're seeing a group of dedicated orca's lovers join forces to bring back a stranded orca that was lost hundreds of miles to its rightful place despite facing a challenge at the beginning. In the name of love, they all make it happen.

I was in tears when reading this, at the same time happy knowing that there's a lot of people who cares about another creature and are willing to do so much in their power to set that poor creature free, as it should be.

I'm glad that humans learn from their past mistakes and implies the lesson to better serve and handle the orca, as what happens to the orca in Free Willy ( I hope that I had the chance to watch the film), which I didn't know it's dreadful ends before reading about it In this book, thinking that once it's free, it's free. But sadly not, after having close contact with humans, it takes time to adjust to living without one and having no family to identify, making it out there lonely on its own. Despite finding comfort from humans, in a pod is where it should belong.

I read twice or perhaps thrice and believe me I could go on reading for as long as I want if not to the limited time limit. I want to see and know more about the whereabouts of Springer. I am truly glad for Springer knowing that she's able to live a life that was full of joys, free, being a mother and not separated from one. It's one of my wishes to see more orcas living a free life out there in the sea, rather than being captivated and having to serve humans for entertainment all their life.

I will recommend this book to all, regardless of age. It's beautifully written, easy to understand, complete with maps, and illustrations!

Between the ages of roughly 6–16, I would tell anyone who would listen that when I grew up, I wanted to marine biologist. Not just any marine biologist, but one who was an expert on orcas. If you don’t believe me you can ask my Mom, and she’ll show you pictures of my bed sheets, wallpaper, and birthday cakes over the years, all covered in killer whales😅

While I didn’t end up becoming a marine biologist (math is hard!!), my love for whales never went away, and as soon as I saw this book I knew I absolutely needed to read it. It’s technically written for children, but even as an adult, it made my heart soar🥰

Orca Rescue! by Donna Sandstrom follows the story of Springer, a young orca who was found near Seattle, separated from her pod. What resulted was an international, and well-documented attempt, to reunite her with her family. I remember reading about it when it happened, and was so happy to get more details about the story.

While this little book chronicles Springer’s story, it also includes lots of information on orcas in general, from where they live to what they eat, their social structures, and even information about their history in captivity, and how that’s now illegal in many parts of the world. The water color illustrations are also stunning, and add extra depth to the book as well.

The facts and science in this book are simplified for young readers, but provide a great starting point for those who love whales and want to learn more. I know a younger version of myself would have taken a highlighter to it, and asked my parents to help me track down the resources listed at the end to learn more. Even now, as an adult, I’m going to look some of them up!

If you know a young reader who loves whales, conservation, or marine life in general, this book would be perfect. It blends storytelling, science, and art well, and is sure to be a hit.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Kids Can Press, for a digital ARC via NetGalley. Orca Rescue! by Donna Sandstrom came out on October 5, 2021, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.

This non-fiction narrative is sure to catch the eye of readers who adore true animal stories and worry about animals and/or the environment. As an educator, page 43 with the choices really caught my eye and could make for a great classroom discussion with possibly research and or debate tied in. I appreciate some of the details the author chose to add in such as that a young boy was one of the people to speak up at the meeting about her possibly being lost. This shows youth that they too can participate in such meetings. The vocabulary asides were very helpful for readers. Well done.

Orca Rescue! is a delightful, educational book with gorgeous illustrations. It follows the story of an orphan Orca calf, named Springer, who is rescued by scientists and researchers in 2002. It is discovered that her family actually lived 400 miles away, and so a community effort is launched to nurture the malnourished Orca calf and return her to her pod.

This captivating story is retold with passion and commitment, and there are facts and information about Orcas and their societies, lifestyle, and so on woven throughout. The more factual segments do not detract from the story but rather add to it, and I loved reading about the history of Orcas in the Pacific Northwest of America and Canada, despite knowing much of the detail already.

This was a quick and informative read which was also highly entertaining. I loved the illustrations and, despite the poignancy of the undetermined future surrounding Orcas in this part of the world, there were themes of hope, commitment, and joy underlying the challenges faced by the author and the rescue team. Highly, highly recommended.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Kids Can Press, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very informative and good for age 8 or so. This is a book I would have combed through repeatedly at that age and it’s fairly lengthy with little informational illustrations that you can return to

Orca Rescue by Donna Sandstrom is very well written. in detail and beautifully illustrated. It tells a story of Springer, an orca who was orphaned after her mom was slaughtered by fisherman. So glad these marime biologists learn from their mistake of taking care of Keiko who was captured and taken care but too afraid to interact with other orcas because all her life she depended on humans for food and her welfare.. When Keiko returned to her family, she was not able to adapt to her environment. Somehow she didn't survive. But with Springer, these marine biologists took care of her and she has her freedom and from time to time she visits the people that took care of her.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to whoever likes marine life and learn to love the ocean and gain more knowledge about all kinds of orcas and their natural behaviours: how they interact with humans.

I agree with most of the reviews here. Overall, this is an educational read fort children, and I love the art work!

I am honestly at a loss as what to write. Because everything I think of I feel won't do this book the justice it deserves.

It's a wonderful story about the saving of a baby Orca and reuniting her with her family. She was found under weight but scientists knew where her pod were. So they set out to put them back together.

It's wonderfully illustrated.

It's aimed at a younger audience but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is truly a heart warming read. One that I will probably read again and again.

Give it a go. If you love all animals this will not disappoint you.

Enjoy!

Wow this is the best children's story ever that every child should read. This need to be under every Christmas tree. It is beautifully wrote and the pictures are just stunning. Normally me and my 9 year old daughter would read before bed and it would take at least 2 weeks to get through a book of this size. Not this book my daughter loved it that much that she was waking up early to read it and excited to go to bed early to read it. she didn't want the book to end. This book tells the story of Springer a very young orca, who was found all alone after her mother had been killed. How the community and 2 different countries come together to save the young orca's life. It gives easy explanations of how they live, eat etc. This is a true story and at the end of the book were real photos taken during the rescue and through Springers life. This is a book that all children should read, it's such a heartwarming tale. It even has a section educating children on how to keep our oceans safe for all wildlife. I can't thank the author enough for helping save this young orca's life. And to her friend who made you write this book. It is amazing we are so proud of you and thank you for inspiring me and my child to do what we can. PS part of this book is set in Manchester, Washington and we live in Manchester, UK. We loved having this connection. This book is suitable to read with your child from 3 up until 10 year old and also for adults who love children's books with beautiful illustrations.
This book is Ladyreading365 children's book of the year 2021 already listed on goodreads, kobo, waterstones, Google books etc. Also just listed on my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/orca-rescue-by-donna-sandstrom-kids-can-press-5-stars

What a wonderful book! It is a beautifully written story that was a joy to read and also teaches you a lot about the Orca's. The illustrations were a wonderful addition to the story. This book should be in every school library. Thank you Kids Can Press via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Orca Rescue is one of the most captivating and inspiring books on animals rescue mission i ever read. A very well-crafted story with a right balance of very interesting facts about the Orcas combined with a compelling and very inspiring story written in a brief journal format. Loved the beautiful, brush-stroke, colour painting illustrations. The generous amounts of location maps provided are very handy in identifying Springer's and the Orcas whereabouts and in keeping track of the trail routes during the rescue missions.

The story is about how a lost orphan Orca calf named Springer brought two nations and the communities together in a believed to be the first and so far the only successful Orca rescue and reunion in history. How much length and efforts that those communities were willing to put in ensuring Springer's rescue mission is successful made me all teary for she is Indeed one very blessed and lucky Orca while there are still many other Orcas who are not so lucky as they had to spend their entire lives living in captivity and confinement.They never had a chance to taste freedom and be reunited with their families again. I am very glad that the communities finally settling on choosing the wisest and soundest solution of all by returning Springer back to her pod/family instead of sending her to live at the aquarium. This story shows that people do learned from our past mistakes from Moby Doll and Keiko's story and made the effort to rectify them by choosing the right thing to do.

I strongly recommend anyone of you to read this remarkable story to learn more deeply about these fascinating creatures and form a deep love and appreciation towards them. The more i read and learn about the Orcas, the more intense my love and obsession with them. I wish to be given the opportunity to see them with my own two eyes someday (if only there are Orcas in my native country). Kudos to the author for weaving such a beautiful and heart-warming story and for invoking a sense of awareness and compassion in all of us. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of this captivating story in exchange for an honest review. "As much as we have gotten it wrong, we can also make it right. Each of us can make a difference,if we have the courage to try. Like Orcas in a pod, we are stronger and more successful when we work together. And most of all, nature can heal, so long as we give it a chance."

Orca Rescue by Donna Sandstrom was a very well written and engaging book.

The book included the story line of Springer, what humans and agencies were doing, animal behaviour, anatomy, ways people can help, additional reading, among other things.

As someone who loves animal behaviour, I was most fascinated by this part of the book. I used to write papers on Orcas growing up, and I still learned new things from this book.

I did not realize this was a children’s book when I requested it. As I was reading though, I thought this book would be nice for children. It is written clear enough for a child to understand, and the illustrations add a nice visual to the story and learning process. I think this would be more geared to a parent reading to their child or a more advanced young reader.

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would, and I would recommend it to children or adults who love animals and stories of determination, dedication, and resilience.

I received an eARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

This was a really wonderful book. It is the story about a young orca, Springer, who was found by herself in Puget Sound. The book centers around efforts to rescue her. Woven into this story are a lot of facts about orca whales. I loved how the information was spaced throughout the story. Rather than being facts stuck in, it felt like an interesting and integral part of the story. Almost as though you were also learning information to participate in what was happening.

The story was thrilling. Good writing and good storytelling. It was also hopeful, that for all the horrible things humans have done, we are also capable of good.

I loved this book. It was fun, engaging, and I felt like I learned a lot. Definitely recommend for animal lovers, both older kids and adults.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

The author compellingly relates her firsthand experience with the story of a young orca separated from her pod, and all of the hard work, teamwork, and science brought to bear to ensure that Springer could reunite with her family. It is a compelling journal-style story of a citizen organizer working closely with many other partners. the author relates all of the discoveries, challenges, and problem-solving along the way in the effort to help Springer, as if in real time. Springer's story is also nicely interspersed with facts about orcas, resident orca culture, the dark history of capture, and ongoing threats to whales and dolphins today.
This is a highly readable, enjoyable story, carefully grounded in research and the author's direct personal experience. I really appreciate that the back matter includes ways readers can help the endangered orcas recover, and inspiration to take that kind of action. (I love these lines: "The biggest lesson we learned from Springer is that each of us can make a difference. A ferry worker noticed a lone orca and called Mark. A boy spoke up at a crowded public meeting. And paddlers sang when Springer came home.")
The warm watercolor illustrations throughout are an absolutely beautiful accompaniment to the text and help bring the story to life even more.

This book looked so interesting to me, we love wildlife in our house and my eldest is particularly fond of caring for animals and the enviroment so I had to take a look at this non-fiction story of an Orca rescue. The cover is stunning with beautiful art work with a stand out title.

Orca Rescue is complimented with beautiful maps showing us the locations of the story so you can follow the journey. The foreword which gives us details of the authors live prior to the rescue and how she came to be a part of the Orca Alliance and caring for the wellbeing of Orcas.

The story is set out in chapters leading us through the meeting of and rescue of the whale but we also get lots of facts and details about Orca, how they live and their features, this is so interesting for the reader to learn about the way they live.

The illustrations are beautiful, realistic art work, using muted and soft tones that are perfect for the nature of the book. There is an image on page 74 that is so completely stunning I'd have it framed.

I learnt so much from this book. The chapters almost alternate between story and facts.
The chapter about the resident Orcas and whale behaviors gave lots of interesting facts, the way the author merges both fact and story works well.
It's so nice to have a non fiction fact book and a story combined for a really engaging read, particularly for children like my own who love a story over a fact book but still want and need to learn information.
This is a book I feel would work so well in schools but its honestly one of the nicest non fiction children books iv seen, the content is so rich and fulfilling and it really feels like an adventure but you will learn so much along the way. Throughout the book titles are bold and eye catching, making this book easy for reference and I imagine a great reading report project for ages 8-12 years. There is also reference to Keiko in this book for a comparative story to study and a range of additional reading and websites and a full glossary.

I loved hearing about the changes made to protect Orca and how such an achievement was accomplished, its very inspiring to know that anyone can make the changes necessary to make our world a better place.
No spoilers here but the story is beautiful and summarised really well, ending with reflection and points to consider as well as tips on how we can help.
I particularly loved the real life photos of Springer and the Orca family tree!

Thank you to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for and copy of this book in exchange for my impartial review. I sat down and read this in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it.