Writer & Artist: Ariela Kristantina
Colorist: Sarah Stern
Letterer: Bernardo Brice
Designer: Kassandra Starkell
Editor: Will Dennis
Publishers: Comixology & Dark Horse Books
Kindle Release Date: September 23, 2025
Kindle Price: Free with an Amazon Prime membership
Paperback Price: $17.99
Paperback Release Date: March 31, 2026
Like a pier jutting over the water, Wangi's town perches on
stilts. When the whales arrive each year, the girl abandons her hammock and
dives into the sea. The whales swim around this cluster of homes that
represents Wangi's world. Yet each whale dwarfs this small enclave of Humanity.
Despite the village elder's fears, the whales regard their
Human neighbors peacefully. Maaha, the pod's leader, even lets Wangi
fingerpaint on him. As Wangi adorns Maaha with art, the girl speaks with Maaha,
and the pod leader responds. What stories about life do Maaha and Wangi share?
And how will Wangi's love for whales affect her future? Let’s grab our art
supplies, leap into The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN, and see!
Story
The village elder reads the tides and the sky. She has
safeguarded her community for decades. But while everyone else sees happiness, the
elder worries that the whales will bring trouble to her people. After the
whales depart, she breathes easier for a while. But when Maaha returns without
the pod, its injuries bode ill. As Wangi directs the villagers to tend Maaha's
wounds, the elder’s fears grow.
In The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN, the elder cannot repress
Wangi’s compassion. Nor can she quench the girl’s curiosity. As Wangi tends
Maaha's wounds, she discovers that not all the art on its body has come from
her hand. So, when Maaha departs, Wangi climbs into a boat to find her.
Ariela Kristantina's story introduces a cast of colorful
characters. Like the elder, Wangi's younger brother Banyu urges restraint. But
Wangi is up for anything and eager to explore her world. When she meets Citra
and his people, some are less friendly than others. But like her, the young
mapmaker has the heart of an explorer.
As Wangi travels, she meets more people like herself, learns
about the history of her world, and beholds wonders she never imagined. Sadly, Wangi
also discovers that the village elder’s concerns were warranted. The Girl Who
Draws On Whales GN is a story of Human greed and the desire to destroy what you
cannot control. Yet the book also celebrates love, family, adventure, and the
beauty of nature.
Art
Bridges and piers link the islands upon which Wangi’s people
have built their homes. Wangi braids her red hair in front. The rest tumbles
around her, as uncontrollable as the ocean waves. While other islanders strain
to remain in their boats when Maaha rises like a mountain, Wangi perches atop
the whale and waves to them. Mythological creatures frolic on the page as Wangi
draws on Maaha's hide. The children of the village swim beneath the waves to
behold the illustrated whale in The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN.
Sarah Stern loads her brush with a soft and inviting palette
of colors as she paints Ariela Kristantina’s charming illustrations. Bubbles
rise through the turquoise waters as Wangi paints the gray whale with red,
yellow, and blue. Citra's green hair evokes Peter Pan as he sits at his desk
surrounded by books, charts, and a globe. His purple shirt links with the sky
above him, while his maroon chair resonates with the wooden trim of his elegant
ship. As green plants adorn Wangi's wood and reed home, metal spikes rise from
the captain's jacket as he gazes at the pink clouds floating through a peach
sky.
Bernardo Brice fills white dialogue balloons with black
uppercase letters and lowercase letters in dark yellow paper scraps. As Wangi
lies on the injured whale, Maaha speaks white uppercase letters into a black
rectangle. While Humans splash in the water, knock on their neighbor's door,
and activate alarms, the sea creatures' telepathic communication appears as
white uppercase letters surrounded by black. Thanks to Comixology, Dark Horse
Books, and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Citra is a young mapmaker. He owes everything to the man who
raised him. The boy narrates this tale about Wangi’s adventure in his own
inimitable style. Yet whether Wangi can trust this stranger who also draws on
whales is anything but certain in The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN.
Rating 9.4/10
