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In this level 2 reader, young readers will explore the underwater world of lovable manatees. Follow these gentle giants, sometimes called "sea cows," through their marshy habitats, learn how manatees raise their young, and discover the threats to their environment. Beautiful photos and carefully leveled text make this book perfect for reading aloud or for independent reading.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 31, 2023
Absolute banger
March 20, 2026
Amazing book! I learned a lot!
July 7, 2020
Join National Geographic in learning about Manatees!
Learn about the physical features, parts of the body, diet, behavior, lifestyle, babies, where they can be found and how they migrate! A perfect book to introduce young readers to manatees.
I absolutely love these National Geographic Kids Readers! They are absolutely perfect! I love them so much, I plan to buy more books in this series for my library. I fell in love with this series, because they have the use very age appropriate words and simple phrases for young, beginning readers. And their gorgeous, high quality, photographs will make you feel like you are actually right there with the animals!
Learn about the physical features, parts of the body, diet, behavior, lifestyle, babies, where they can be found and how they migrate! A perfect book to introduce young readers to manatees.
I absolutely love these National Geographic Kids Readers! They are absolutely perfect! I love them so much, I plan to buy more books in this series for my library. I fell in love with this series, because they have the use very age appropriate words and simple phrases for young, beginning readers. And their gorgeous, high quality, photographs will make you feel like you are actually right there with the animals!
November 4, 2025
This informational book is an easy reader level 2 book from National Geographic. It is marketed for younger children but it is enjoyable to read for anyone who loves manatees and learning new information. This book goes over many details about Manatees including their diets, habitats, predators, and some fun facts.
I would have this book in my classroom library in an informational book bin. This book could be great for science projects about organisms and other animals. I think that having this book in a classroom library would be a great resource for kids when they need to research instead of having them look up information off the internet where the information may not be reliable.
I would have this book in my classroom library in an informational book bin. This book could be great for science projects about organisms and other animals. I think that having this book in a classroom library would be a great resource for kids when they need to research instead of having them look up information off the internet where the information may not be reliable.
June 8, 2021
Genre: Informational Text Grade: 1-3
This is a good learning/informational book. It has a table of contents, glossary, a short quiz, and fun facts through out the book. It would be a good book for a student who is learning about manatees or doing some research on them.
This is a good learning/informational book. It has a table of contents, glossary, a short quiz, and fun facts through out the book. It would be a good book for a student who is learning about manatees or doing some research on them.
December 25, 2021
i love manatees!
November 26, 2022
Good job explaining vocabulary and providing relevant facts about manatees!
October 2, 2025
Learned some cool facts!!!
October 8, 2025
Maddie and I read a bunch of fish/water mammal themed books this evening and really enjoyed them all.
November 28, 2025
Laura Marsh does a terrific job with these books! Very clear, engaging, and stellar nonfiction.
October 20, 2016
Manatees are an interesting creature to learn about and this book does it well. It is simplified enough for 2nd- 3rd graders and would be an excellent choice for writing a small animal report on. National Geographic Kids are great books for the classroom because they have real images and pictures to help the kids see what they are reading about. The text is large and easy to read as well. I like this one!
January 1, 2026
After reading many manatee books, this is by far the best one! Best information, best photographs, the most interesting, and the most well-written. (As long as you ignore the sidebars with the punny jokes - ugh.)
July 13, 2016
Level 2 Reader
Shocking how few of these unique creatures are left when their only predator is us. I didn't know that they graze like a cow and only sleep 15 minutes at a time.
Shocking how few of these unique creatures are left when their only predator is us. I didn't know that they graze like a cow and only sleep 15 minutes at a time.
March 26, 2017
National Geographic Kids has some great books and this is one of them. Interesting facts and excellent photographs, so it's fun for both kids and parents during story time.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews