About the Holiday

The theme of this month-long holiday is simple: it’s all about wildlife. Whether you like mammals, birds, fish, or insects best, July is the time to celebrate the wondrous diversity of our planet’s wildlife. We may be halfway through the month, but you and your kids still have lots of time to explore the wildlife in your area and learn about the creatures that populate all parts of our world. Today’s book takes a humorous look at what you might expect—or not—during your explorations!

Thank you to Tundra Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Whale, That Was Unexpected

Written by Casey Lyall | Illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Every day of her long, long, long life, Maude—a bit cranky after all these long, long years—fished the “open sea.” Today was no different as she and her dog, Claude, stepped aboard the “trusty little boat” and left the harbor. “After all these years, Maude had seen everything,” that is until she, Claude, and their boat were swallowed by a whale. Inside the dark recesses of this behemoth, Maude lifted her lantern and took stock of the flotsam and jetsam floating below.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Kathryn Durst. Text copyright © by Casey Lyall. Courtesy of Tundra Books.

Maude knew just what to do. She strung decorations, brewed tea, made snacks, and painted a sign that read: “Farewell Maude + Claude.” She unfurled the sign from the bridge and asked the narrator to “do the honors” for their going away party. The narrator obliged—barely. “Farewell, Maude. Farewell, Claude.” Maude was unimpressed. The narrator obliged—better: “Farewell, Maude, a grand old dame. Farewell, Claude, sixth of his name. Farewell, trusty little boat.”

But the whale wasn’t satisfied with crusty Maude and faithful Claude, and their boat was, apparently, too little. It sucked in an octopus and a crab, each requiring their own eulogies. The whale swallowed again . . . and again. It was getting tricky updating the sign. Even the narrator was slowing down. But once more, from the top, the party got into full swing. As the whale quieted, though, Maude decided “that’s all she wrote.” She lit the candle on the celebratory sandwich, which made the whale “Ah, ah, AH”—sneeze! Through the blowhole, the little boat shot into the air and safety. But is there something else lurking?

Casey Lyall’s nautical treasure sails along on deadpan humor, fueled by Maude’s cantankerous intrusions into the narrator’s storytelling and blasé acceptance of each newcomer. The cumulative eulogy is all the funnier for the interruptions and shenanigans of the growing crew, and both kids and adults will have a blast starting and restarting this hilarious send-off. Maude’s prompt for the narrator to speed up makes reading Lyall’s perfectly rhyming and rhythmic ode even more fun.

As kids set out to sea with Kathryn Durst’s sturdy Maude and her sidekick Claude, they’ll be charmed by and completely invested in this humorous duo. Durst gives them all the comforts of home on their “trusty little boat” as tea is formally laid on a barrel table and a tufted armchair and bucket footstool await calm seas. The first view of the whale is cleverly ominous, building suspense. The pair’s farewell pathos will have readers giggling, and as the doomed crew expands, their resigned acceptance of their fate provides plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. The final scenes just off the lovely coastal town offer surprise and delight.

Whale, That Was Unexpected is the catch you don’t want to let get away. Funny and loaded with personality, this fresh read aloud is one that kids and adults will love to share over and over.

Ages 4 – 8

Tundra Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1774883617

About the Author

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 the humorous middle-grade mystery series Howard Wallace, P.I. and books A Spoonful of Frogs and Vampire Jam Sandwich. Visit her at caseylyall.com.

About the Illustrator

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. Follow her on Instagram.