Whales to the Rescue provides readers with a unique look into how whales can make a difference for the planet. Author Adrienne Mason describes whales as “ecosystem engineers” – meaning they are animals that create, modify or maintain an ecosystem. This book describes how whales help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Whales store a large amount of carbon in their bodies for decades, even centuries; when they die, they sink to the ocean floor, taking their carbon with them. They also deposit nutrients into the ocean when they poop which helps feed phytoplankton and draws carbon out of the atmosphere and into the ocean during photosynthesis.

This book was very fascinating! It begins by giving the reader background information on whales, including types of whales, what they eat and poop and how they migrate. It then moves on to describe how whales help the planet. It concludes with how we can help whales help the planet. This book has additional resources, a glossary and an index to give readers more information. Kim Smith’s illustrations are beautiful and really help support the concepts presented in this book. This book is also part of the Ecosystem Guardians series and would be a wonderful addition to any library.