Whale Eyes — A Groundbreaking Illustrated Memoir by James Robinson, Featuring Art by Brian Rea
Penguin Workshop Launches Whale Eyes, a Visually Powerful Memoir with Companion Short Film Trailer
Whale Eyes, the new illustrated memoir by Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson, is making waves in the literary world.
Inspired by his viral, Emmy-nominated short film for The New York Times, this genre-defying book invites readers to experience life through Robinson’s eyes—literally.
Told through a compelling mix of personal anecdotes, visual metaphors, and interactive page design, Whale Eyes breaks traditional boundaries of memoir. From middle-grade readers to adults, audiences are challenged to chase fading words, tilt the book upside down, and even undergo a simulated vision test.
But it is the poignant illustrations by Eisner Award–nominated artist Brian Rea that elevate the book into a deeply immersive experience. Known for his work with The New York Times' Modern Love column, Rea’s deceptively simple, emotionally rich visuals serve as the connective tissue of the narrative.
Printed in full color, his illustrations breathe life into every moment of disorientation, vulnerability, and discovery.
Critical Acclaim & Community Recognition
Whale Eyes has received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and BookPage, and has been selected as both an Indies Introduce Pick (Winter/Spring 2025) and an Indie Next Pick (February/March 2025).
The book is also a celebration of the Disability Community, whose advocacy has made it possible for stories like this to take center stage. Robinson acknowledges this collective effort in a moving tribute included in the book’s final pages.
A Short Film Trailer Brings the Book to Life
To accompany the release, a short film trailer offers a visual extension of the memoir’s themes. Like the book, the film explores the idea of vision—literal and metaphorical—through intimate storytelling and artistic composition.
Availability
Whale Eyes is available through major retailers:
Penguin Random House, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, Powell's, and Books A Million.
Book Details:
Author: James Robinson
Illustrator: Brian Rea
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Format: Full-color illustrated memoir
Page Count: 304
Age Range: 10 – Adult
Whale Eyes James Robinson, Brian Rea illustrations, illustrated memoir 2025, Penguin Workshop new releases, disability memoirs, graphic memoir books, interactive books, Eisner Award illustrator, New York Times short film memoir, illustrated books for teens and adults, Whale Eyes trailer, James Robinson filmmaker, books on visual impairment, middle grade memoirs, best illustrated books 2025
#WhaleEyes #JamesRobinson #BrianRea #IllustratedMemoir #PenguinWorkshop #DisabilityNarratives #GraphicMemoir #EisnerNominee #BookTrailer #VisualStorytelling #InteractiveBooks #BooksThatMatter #MemoirWithArt #SeeingDifferently #Bookstagram2025
