Defeated by an unruly bunch of pirates who throw him overboard, a once-fearsome pirate is rescued by a mermaid only to be swallowed by a whale who suffers from indigestion because of a treasure-laden ship in its tummy.

When Gerda the blue whale was very small, her mother would sing a beautiful song telling her that if she were ever lost she should look to the stars and they would guide her. When it's time for the little whale to leave home, her adventures take her from the warm waters of the equator to the freezing poles. Along the way she meets clever killer whales, playful penguins, a friendly polar bear and the ancient narwhal. Then one day, the little whale...

"This comical companion to Ross Burach's "The very impatient caterpillar" pays loving homage to every child's struggle to persist through challenges while also delivering a lighthearted lesson on butterfly migration. Remember, if at first you don't succeed, fly, fly again."--Back cover.

Caterina, a very organized brown bird, thinks she has the perfect plan to make sure she and her little brother Leo see a whale on their day at the beach.