posted on 29 Sep 2024

Whisper to the Rescue by Rose Robbins

My childhood is now only a distant memory but I do still remember that feeling of not being listened to by an adult world eager to get on with whatever it was they were doing. Sadly, I didn’t have the persistence Whisper has in this story to keep on advocating for what I thought was right.

You see, Whisper is a young dragon who is concerned about how the grown-ups in his family behave. They all live in the woods and dedicate themselves to using-up as many of the natural resources as they can – much to Whisper’s distress. The young dragon with a conscience does his best to protect enough berries and acorns to keep the other animals fed that share the wood but it’s always a struggle.

But, as you might expect, what dragons love most is fire:

“…Whisper’s family’s favourite thing to do was to build bonfires – the bigger the better. They would tear down trees and burn the branches to make fires.”

Destroying so many trees and creating so much smoke is, in fact, destroying the whole ecology of the woodland but the adult dragons are just blind to what they are doing – it’s not wicked, just thoughtless. 

Things have got so bad that other animals are now leaving - but despite all the terrible destruction around them the grown-up dragons simply won’t listen to little Whisper. Something’s got to be done:

“Upset and frustrated, Whisper knew he had to stop them before the mountain was changed forever. He flew deep into the forest to find his friends Bear and Owl.”

Bear and Owl show Whisper that sometimes words just aren’t enough to change minds or capture attention and that something practical and noticeable is needed to wake others up out of their thoughtlessness. 

And so, Whisper becomes an activist. But what does he do and how does he finally get his message across?

Well, I’m not telling here because you’re going to have to get your own copy to find out.

This colourful and delightfully illustrated story is a perfect way to introduce younger readers to the complex issues of climate change and environmental degradation without making the messages too scary or indigestible. It’s also good to have a book that shows how the voices of younger people have a part to play in the solution – and for parents, teachers and carers there’s a wake-up call about listening to the generation that will inherit the mess they are making.

Available now from Scallywag Press, you will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order you a copy if they don’t have it on their shelves.

Terry Potter

September 2024