A Manatee Morning

by Jim Arnosky

In the Crystal river, where the water's warm and clean, something big is moving. It's a swimming manatee. Join a manatee mother and baby as they swim peacefully through the sun-streaked waters of Crystal river, Florida. Watch as they drift past a sleeping alligator and a hungry pelican. But be careful! Noisy motorboats are speeding by. Thank goodness mother manatee is there to hold her baby close and safe. This true-to-life story by nature-lover Jim Arnosky is sure to captivate readers of all ages. The soft language and reassuring illustrations highlight the magnificence of these gentle giants and the special relationship between mother and baby.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Animals, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Jim Arnosky was born in New York City, NY Sept 1, 1946. He was raised in Pennsylvania. Jim graduated from high school in Philadelphia and joined the US Naval Reserves. His active duty took him to Maryland and Bremerhaven, Germany.

In 1976 Jim and his wife Deanna moved to Vermont with their two daughters where they have lived in an old farmhouse for the past 28 years. 17 of those years were spent raising sheep.

Jim is self taught in writing, art and the natural sciences. He has written and illustrated 86 books on nature subjects and has illustrated 46 other books written by various authors. He has been awarded the Christopher Medal, Orbis Pictus Honor, ALA Gordon Award, and Outstanding Science book awards from National Science Teachers Associations.

Jim loves to fish, boat, and play his guitar. In his work, he uses a Betacam SP video camcorder with a 1600 mm lens to record the wildlife he and Deanna find all across the country.

Reviews

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on July 14, 2021
Theme: Sea and Ocean Animals

Soft illustrations and lighter text make this a good picture book non-fiction.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pace of the book is much more languid than Arnosky’s later manatee-themed effort, Slow Down for Manatees. There’s not much of a story here, it’s just more or less a very basic introduction to the herbivorous sea mammals. The rhyming structure is rather strange; it seemed that the author couldn’t figure out if he wanted to write a rhyming book or not.

Motorboat propellers, those well-known threats to manatee’s safety, are a more abstract threat than the danger presented in Slow Down for Manatees:

Mother hears a roaring sound and holds her baby dear
as a motorboat goes churning by,
dangerously near.

While it sports a weaker story line and humane education lesson than the superior Slow Down for Manatees, the less-upsetting text regarding motorboat collisions may make Manatee Morning more suitable for younger tots or especially sensitive children.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet tale about manatees; where they live, what they eat, their families and their gentle ways. The softly colored illustrations are well-drawn and are very good depictions of the gentle giants. We have been to Crystal River, Florida and have seen some manatees in the waters there. This book is a subtle reminder to take care of these creatures and be careful, especially when traveling in their waters by boat.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely and sweet, but not as interesting as other manager books he has written.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, worth reading for theme. Good library choice. Read for Memoria Press Kindergarten week 1.


Tipton Co. Lib., Simon & Schuster

[Edward Creter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book in rhyme about manatees, the gentlest and most vulnerable of mammals in the water. Should be good for kids.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is lovely, but not very substantial. Most children would not find it engaging enough.