A MANATEE MORNING
by Jim Arnosky & illustrated by Jim Arnosky
Dreamy green and gold acrylic wash illustrations celebrate a gentle manatee and her baby swimming in the waters of Crystal River, Florida. Arnosky (Rattlesnake Dance, p. 790, etc.) bathes the book in a golden glow, floating the green verses on a soft, gold ground and framing underwater scenes of the manatee with a broad band of the same yellow. Throughout, the illustrations demonstrate the author’s affection for the ungainly, endangered mammals that swim in Florida waterways, eating the water hyacinth. Though the verses are clumsy, and the rhymes frequently miss, the lullaby has enormous warmth and appeal. “Manatee baby, / manatee mom, / swimming in the shady pool, / swimming in the sun.” Young listeners will enjoy hearing the verses read aloud, and older readers may be moved to investigate the manatee Web site and “Adopt-a-manatee” program discussed on the back cover. Charming. (Picture book. 4-8)