J. Rooker, Manatee [Hardcover]

Jan Haley (Author), Paul Brent (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A manatee of the southwest Florida coast is injured, then rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to the wild. Based on a true story.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Stunningly illustrated in tropical shades, this book describes some shattering events in the otherwise placid life of a Florida manatee. After losing its mother in a storm, the calf is slashed on the back by a motorboat propeller and surely would have died without human intervention and rescue. Bright, double-page spreads draw viewers into the animal's watery habitat, but the text is too wordy and explicative, and about one quarter of the way into the story the tense shifts from past to present. The story line loses momentum because of too many interruptions to explain how the manatee feels, first about his carefree early life, then later when his "pain is almost unbearable," and "Yes, this is death, he is certain." Information about manatees is introduced throughout, but this blending of fact and fiction weakens both aspects of the tale, and much of the drama is lost. At one point, in order to explain the rescue operations, the point of view shifts to a human explanation of events in a further dilution of storytelling. Kathy and Tara Darling's Manatee (Lothrop, 1991) and Margaret Goff Clark's The Vanishing Manatee (Cobblehill, 1990) both do a better job of presenting the perils facing these endangered marine mammals.?Frances E. Millhouser, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Focus Pub; First Edition edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885904053
• ISBN-13: 978-1885904058
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,192,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a great way to learn about this endangered animal., June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: J. Rooker, Manatee (Hardcover)

When a friend first introduced me to the book, J. Rooker, Manatee, we were in the middle of an endangered species unit with our third grade classes. We shared this unique manatee story with the students, and they were immediately moved by it's contents (the painted illustrations were beautiful, too). The story of J. Rooker helped the children see how easy an animal's life is threatened when humans are careless with motor boats in our waterways. In addition, the children learned a great deal about manatees from the cleverly placed facts in the story, and from the last few "fact pages" in the book. We've recommended this book to many teacher friends in other states and have bought copies for gifts, as well. It's a truly wonderful story!