Why the Whales Came

Set on the Scilly Isles in 1914 against the impending threat of the First World War, Why the Whales Came is a touching story in which two children, Daniel and Gracie cut through the prejudice that has been held against the strange 'birdman' and show that far from being mad, his unusual knowledge of the island makes him especially wise. The children's initial fear of 'the birdman', changing as it does to love and respect, is finely observed and deeply felt. On tape, however, the problem of the story having been written by Gracie as an adult looking back on her childhood, means that Virginia McKenna's silvery, grandmotherly tones prevent listeners from identifying immediately with the strong, child appeal that the book holds, Instead, it is a story told by an adult to children, not from one child to another, across time. For nine years and upwards.