' Bleak was the day & the wind whipped down when I & my sisters walked to town' So begins the story of three sisters & their wild & magical encounter with a whale stranded on a beach With illustrations full of light & movement a powerful text that reads like a ballad children & adults alike will be transported to beachside holidays of long ago feel the wind in their hair & taste the salt spray as the girls battle against huge odds to save something precious & vulnerable The artwork moves from black & white to full colour & is expansive & nostalgic Both author & illustrator are passionate about the natural world & environmental issues & see the book as a way to encourage others to care