SLOW DOWN FOR MANATEES

A pregnant Florida manatee, accidentally injured by a passing motorboat, is rescued and rehabilitated in a tank on land, where she gives birth before both are released back into their canal home. This straightforward account is gently told. No fault is implied; indeed, in an afterword, Arnosky stresses that boaters are usually quite careful, but accidents do happen. His pastel acrylic paintings stretch across the gutters, set off from the text by a wavy ribbon of color implying the separation of the manatee’s watery world. On the text side, tiny insets offer other scenes from the manatee’s natural environment. A few double-page spreads add emphasis and variety: the drifting wounded manatee, two night views with the baby and, finally, the pair returning to their home, where a new sign says “Slow down! Manatees.” Though fiction, the story was inspired by an actual event, and the author’s customary attention to environmental detail makes it an excellent companion to his All About Manatees (2007) and A Manatee Morning (2000). (Picture book. 4-7)