★ 5 STARRED REVIEWS ★

★ “Lively, interactive...truly eye-opening.' —Booklist
★ “A sincere reflection on childhood...growing up in a world not built with him in mind.' —Publishers Weekly
★ “A superb middle grade memoir that champions empathy and understanding on every level.” —BookPage
★ “Game-changing curriculum add for any teacher” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
★ “A moving memoir…this is an important book for all readers.” —School Library Journal

An Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook!

AN AUDIOFILE MAGAZINE AND BOOKLIST EDITOR'S CHOICE BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2025

A 2026 Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY AND SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK THE YEAR

From Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson comes a breathtaking illustrated memoir inspired by the viral Emmy-nominated short film Whale Eyes.

Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses readers in James’s point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions.

Readers will get lost as they chase words. They’ll stare into this book while taking a vision test. They’ll hold it upside down as they practice “pretend-reading”…and they’ll follow an unlikely trail toward discovering the power of words.

With poignant illustrations by Eisner Award–nominated artist Brian Rea, James’s story equips readers of all ages with the tools to confront their discomfort with disability and turn confused, blank stares into powerful connections.

* Whale Eyes is meant to be twisted, turned, and experienced. This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF with illustrations, experiments, photos, and interactive visual components. The PDF helps the listener experience the visual effects while they listen to author James Robinson read from a copy of the text.