Dolphins

National Geographic Readers: Level 2

by Melissa Stewart

Everyone loves the smile on a dolphin's face. Though smart enough to become theme park tricksters, dolphins are first and foremost wild mammals. Melissa Stewart's lively text outlines our responsibility to conserve their natural environment. This high-interest book also offers an interactive experience to boost awareness of these adorable creatures. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit /commoncore for more information.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Picture Books, Childrens, Spanish Literature, Kids

Unknown Binding

About the author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science and nature books for children. She offers a wide range of programs for schools, libraries, nature centers, and conferences. www.melissa-stewart.com"

Reviews

[Sarah Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

This nonfiction book about dolphins includes detailed facts and pictures. Readers can find out how dolphins swim, what they look like, and where they live.

Evaluation:

This book has a lot of pictures and provides a lot of information about Dolphins. This is a good book to incorporate into the classroom to teach students more about marine life.

Teaching Ideas:

I would incorporate this into a science class when learning about animals. I would have the students compare and contrast between a shark and a dolphin. The students could write about it or use a Venn Diagram to show the differences.

[CanadianReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

PM Benchmark Level: 21

[Emmerson Gunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book because you learn!😋ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya

[Reece Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informational book on dolphins gives facts about their behavior, habitats, communication, and unique characteristics. I really appreciated how harder vocabulary words were given a definition on the same page for students to understand what they were reading. This book provides high-quality images of real dolphins in their natural habitat that are very captivating and provide visual reinforcement to the text.
I would recommend this book for 2nd grade because in this grade, they begin to learn about text features, such as headings, captions, bolded words, etc. that this book has lots of. In order to be successful in reading this book, students must know all of these features and know where to read to fully comprehend the text. After reading this book, I would have student create a T-chart where they are differentiating between facts about dolphins on one side and opinions about dolphins on the other.

[Nahuatl P Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro es bonito, informativo, las fotogafías están lindas, lo que se puede esperar de National Geographic.
La traducción es mala, se entiende, pero no está muy bien adaptada, no se toman la molestia ni siquiera de expresar los datos usando el sistema decimal y en partes pareciera que usaron intelegencia artificial como cuando ponen "El delfín girador da vueltas en el aire como un fútbol americano." (p. 24 ed. 2017), quisieron decir: como una pelota de futbol americano, pero en inglés el nombre del deporte y de la pelota específica coinciden.
En fin, creo que de plano el voy a poner notas al libro para facilitar la lectura de los usuarios hispanohablantes de nuestra biblioteca.

[Kevin King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains how dolphins communicate, hunt, and survive in their ocean habitats. It uses real photographs and clear facts to help young readers understand dolphin behavior and intelligence. The book also describes how scientists study dolphins and why protecting their environment matters.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie and I read a bunch of fish/water mammal themed books this evening and really enjoyed them all.

[Keegan Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Informational
Grade: k-2
A very fun and cool tool to learn more about dolphins. Allows students to learn more about dolphins and grow in their reading skills.

[Mar ☁️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo los delfines💙 en cuanto vi el libro dije: lo quieroo!! 🥹🥹🤩
Muy entretenido e informativo ⭐

[Nicole Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolphins is a great non-fiction book for kids. This kind of book is full of facts and pictures which is which makes it nonfiction. The story does not really have a plot because it is simple just a book full of facts. All of the photos are real life photos and not drawings so it is giving it a more realistic feel for the students so they know that the facts are real since the photos are as well. There are also little bubbles around the page with additional facts and vocabulary words that help the readers with the information. The pages are full of the pictures and the words are only in small little paragraphs only on the top or bottom of the pages. The pictures are the main point of all of the pages so fo a child the are more engaged in reading the book because even though there are words and facts the pictures keep the kids interested in the read. They are not getting bored by only reading facts they are following the pages with the photos. In the back of the book there are little boxes that give definitions and examples of words and phrases that are used throughout the book so that when students don't understand something they can always go to the back and look up a definition. This can also make it easier for people to fact check the author because when they look it up they can compare the web to the text. For younger students this book can grab their attention because they are full with pictures and small paragraphs so that they aren't overwhelmed with facts all at once. This is an easy way for kids to start getting comfortable with reading facts since they are spread out at also easy to read for younger students. All of the National Geographic books are similar and I feel like having them in a classroom setting is a great way to introduce kids to non-fiction books.

[Breanna Lechase · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Awards the book has received (if any): No awards
2. Appropriate grade level(s): 1st – 3rd
3. Original 3-line summary: This piece of literature covers many details about dolphins, and is formatted more like a story. This text provides a variety of information about dolphins including what they eat, how they breathe, how they tend to act, and how many humans train and study them. There is also information about how tuna fisherman at one time would cast out their nets and kill many dolphins in the process, and how this problem was resolved to protect dolphins.
4. Original 3-line review: This text flows very well from one topic to the next given its story-like structure. That this book also presents itself as a picture book could make it more engaging for younger readers. There is a wide range of information covered in this text, but one piece that really stood out was how this book drew attention to both the positive and negative effects humans can potentially have on dolphins.
5. 2-3 possible in-class uses: This book could be used in a thematic unit on marine life. It could also be used during comprehension and writing lessons by reading the text aloud and then having students reflect on the effects humans have on marine life. Also, students could consider ways humans can be more careful and keep marine life like dolphins safe and healthy.

[Gianna Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about dolphins. Dolphins are mammals who live in the ocean. A baby dolphin is called a calf. Dolphins live in small groups, which are called "pods". These pods make up schools that contain over 1,000 dolphins. Dolphins are very smart. They can talk using special noises and hunt for their prey using effective techniques. There are over 30 different types of dolphins. They are gentle, curious, and playful creatures, this means they can get along with humans well.

I liked this book because it wasn't boring and it presented the facts in a fun way. It also gave a good amount of facts. The author described the traits of a dolphin very well using captions for each trait and expanding on them below that. This way, the information was organized in a way that wasn't overwhelming. The pictures were interesting as well because the picture was usually the center point of the page and there was text around it giving information about the picture or a subject that relates to it. I think the author could have given more information on what dolphins eat because she only described how they caught their prey. I also think the author could have given a real story of a dolphin to make it more interesting. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a quick and informational read.

[Rachael Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Geographic Readers: Dolphins is an informational text written by Melissa Stewart. The book covers many facts about dolphins and their habitat. The story begins with things like the differences between dolphins and fish, how babies are called calves, and how dolphins use echolocation to communicate with one another. The story then goes into dolphins’ habitat and how humans need to work to protect them. Water words are a part of this story that serves as an access feature because it defines words that are shared in the content.
What caught my eye most about the story was its introduction. The book did not dive right into information, but instead it had a passage that seemed like a riddle. “What loves to jump but isn't a frog?”. This is just an example of the awesome passage that Stewart elected to include in her text. I also really enjoyed the pictures that were included because they can evoke more interest in a child. I think that most readers, especially children, would find the addition of pictures in informational texts useful. I also really enjoyed that the book shares our role in protecting dolphins. I think that this helps readers to become more interested in dolphins because they could be inspired to be involved. I give this informational text 5/5 stars.

[Mary Larkin]

Dolphin Baby! By Nicola Davies 2010

I chose this twin text because it is a great narrative story that ties in information about a dolphin’s first stage of life. The information it infuses into the story tie directly into the non-fiction text: a mammal that drinks milk from its mother, using whistles to communicate and working as a pod. In order to enhance the non-fiction book I would conduct a think aloud with my students analyzing the similarities between the two texts. We would discuss how the authors gave us similar information by two different genres.

The structure of the non-fiction book is mainly description where the author goes into depth explaining key facts about a dolphin’s life. There is also a question/answer element throughout as well. It would be interesting to do a webbing activity with the students to see how their knowledge about dolphins grows after reading both the non-fiction and fiction books.

(February 22, 2012). Horn Book Magazine. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so excited to start diving into the nonfiction genre! I always used to love these national geographic books was I was a child and the thrill of reading them hasn't changed. I love to read nonfiction animal books. They are one of my favorite topics to read about. This particular book was all about dolphins. The reader gets to explore 10 different 'chapters' or topics about dolphins. Some of those include differentiating dolphins are mammals and not fish, learning about different areas dolphins can live, and recognizing different types of dolphins. I really enjoyed how this book provided tons of realistic pictures of the topics that were being discussed. I think that would definitely help a reader connect visually with the text. Finally, I enjoyed how the book included a couple of corny jokes throughout the pages. It just makes the reader enjoy themselves through reading the material. My favorite page was reading about the orca, aka killer whale, which is really just a super dolphin!

[Felicia Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Dolphins, Terry Treetop Saves the Dolphin, Entry #1)

I chose to do these two books together because the Dolphins National Geographic book talks all about how dolphins and their features. It says that they like humans in that they are mammals. It also talks about the differences that dolphins have among the fish that live around them. The book is easy to read and very informative. Because we would be learning about dolphins, I could pair the National Geographic dolphin book with Terry Treetop Saves the Dolphin. This fiction book is about how Terry Treetop goes on a summer vacation and meets a dolphin. The dolphin gets caught in a net and Terry has to help save the dolphin. I think that this would be a great twin text book because it talks about caring for the environment and shows how it can harm animals like dolphins. The children could be influenced by this book because they would no longer want to litter because it could harm a dolphin.

[Jennifer Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love dolphins? Do you want to know more about them? Then this is the perfect book for you and your family or class! There are questions, facts, jokes and vocabulary words throughout. Learn where they live, what the eat, how they look and play plus alot more!

This book has amazing pictures and fascinating facts about dolphins. Both of us learned alot! This is perfect for any teacher, librarian, kid and parent! National Geographic for kids is a great series and I hope to add alot more to his collection!

Review from my five (almost six) year old son- "It is cool because I love dolphins and they are cute. The pictures look so real and really cool."

My son participated in the Barnes & Noble kids summer reading program and got this book for free! He was VERY excited since he LOVES dolphins and we ALL love free stuff!!

[Ashlynn Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about dolphins. Melissa Stewart does an excellent job at giving the reader fun facts and information about dolphins. She puts information in the paragraphs as well as throughout the side of the paragraphs. I enjoyed learning that each dolphin has its own name which is composed if different whistle sounds made by the dolphin along with learning dolphins are not fish but mammals.

I enjoyed reading this book about dolphins and the facts could be very beneficial to a reader who is always asking why questions.

I would keep this book in my own personal library at school and let children read it in their own leisure time.

[Claire Lee]

This book goes into the exciting world of dolphins. It uses vibrant colors and lots of big bold lettering to keep kids engaged. This book is perfect for kids who are just starting to become complex readers and also for kids who want to learn about dolphins in a cool and interactive way. Throughout the book the reader is becoming more and more active by completing games and taking quizzes to better their knowledge of dolphins. The only thing I wish the book included was a glossary because I thought some of the words might be to complex for a beginning reader to know the meaning of.

[Connie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved dolphins but never knew some of the facts that this book teaches. I knew that dolphins were a mammal and that young dolphins were called calves. But I didn't know that many of the "whales" we know are actually dolphins, for example the killer whale is the largest breed of dolphin. Dolphins are very smart and playful animals.

This is a very interesting book that I would definitely keep in my classroom because I'm sure my students would enjoy learning all of the fun facts of dolphins just like I did.

[Courtney Adcock]

This book is an informational book on dolphins for young readers. It tells all about dolphin life. It gives some fun facts about dolphins and describes them. It talks about what they are, what they eat, and even about baby dolphins.

If you were to do a unit on sea creatures, this would be a great book for them to look at, read, and learn about dolphins. It is also a good book to use for talking about mammals and how not all mammals are land animals and humans.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dolphins by Melissa Stewart is a book with facts about dolphins and informs the reader about it's habitat, life cycle, fun facts, and other cool things about the animal. Many of these books serve as a good tool for children to learn about while being informed with facts. With pictures that demonstrate the life of a dolphin and what they eat this helps readers picture the life of a dolphin and this can be useful when visiting an aquarium and being well informed about facts about this species.

[Bayli Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolphins have always been adorable to me. Therefore, learning about them was fun and exciting. There were many things in the book that I didn't even know about dolphins. I learn that dolphins communicate through clicks, whistling, and a few other sounds. Female dolphins are called cows, and males are called bulls. I loved the water illustrations in this informational book because it made me feel like I was really in the water with the dolphins.

[Camryn Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the readers all there is to know about dolphins! It talks about everything from how their fins work, to what classifies a marine animal as a dolphin, to how dolphins find food to survive. I love how easy the book is to follow along to learn more about dolphins. This makes this book enjoyable for elementary students and I could use this during science lessons to teach more about environments and how animals communicate to each other to survive.

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Level 2 Reader

I always learn something from these Nat. Geo. Kids books. The photographs are fantastic and the text is just right. We don't always read every detail on every page during the first read through. Unless, of course, there is a joke in which case we skim through and read all of the jokes first before going back to read the details.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice loves dolphins. This book, a gift from our neighbor who picked it up at Marineland a few weeks back, teaches you all about dolphins from anatomy to behaviors and how they differ from other fish and whales. It also explains what types of "whales" are actually dolphins, like the orca. A good "reading to learn" book, level 2, with some interesting new vocabulary for the wee Alice.

[Lesette Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really intriguing! I was surprised to discover new secrets of dolphins, such as baby dolphins being called Calfs and to see that baby dolphins can swim right away. I thought it was cute to also hear that dolphins can combine their pods to become schools! Overall a great read for students who love aquatic animals.

GR Level L
DRA: 20-24
ORGANZIATION

[Sarah Federspiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book of facts and learning points about the life of a dolphin. The National Geographic series is a great learning resource for scientific and history things. I would love to have this book in my classroom for kids to read whenever they have free time and whatnot.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute informational book about dolphins its easy to read it talks about where they live what they look like and how they act in the wild. It even shows that they can play catch. Also throughout the book it asks questions to make the readers thing an connect with the book

[Madelynne Blood-Smyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly informational, and fun book to read with students. I read this one on one with a student doing a research project on Dolphins, and she used it to reference some points for her project. I recommend using this book for kids 8 and under.