From the Publisher
Tom Chapin's warm narrations and original music plunge your child into the world of each animal. The stories come alive with real animal and environmental sounds.
Read listen to the true story of an endangered Florida manatee who made an unprecedented trip north to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where he earned his name "Chessie". Worried that impending cold weather would make him ill, experts captured Chessie and returned him to Florida. The following summer biologists tracked this travelin' man as he swam all the way from Florida to Rhode Island and back again.
From The Critics
Children's Literature
Sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States, this tale of a Florida Manatee and its travels is appealing despite its elementary sounding poetry. Designed to inspire sympathy for this endangered species, the illustrations alone are enough to hook any reader into becoming a member of the Save the Manatee Club which is offered at the end of the book. A glossary of related terms is also provided.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5Randy Houk's book (Benefactory, 1997) is presented in iconographic fashion in a delightful video that both children and adults will enjoy. Narrated by Tom Chapin, the gently rhyming text tells the true story of a manatee that made two extraordinary trips up the eastern coast of the United States. His 1995 arrival at Chesapeake Bay earned him his name. Rescued and returned to Florida, the next year he traveled even further north, making the return trip under his own power. The illustrations by Randy Houk and Paula Barlet are warm and colorful, beautifully matching the spirit of the text. The video also includes live-action footage of manatees, video of the original Chessie and his rescue from Chesapeake Bay, and information about manatees in general as well as their endangered status. With fascinating and well-presented information and high production values, this video will find eager viewers in any setting.Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
K-Gr 3--Chocolate follows the life of a female grizzly bear in Glacier National Park from her birth in a winter den to the birth of her own cub years later. The simple text includes a good deal of general information, as well as detailing the efforts of park rangers to move the fearless Chocolate to a remote area far from hikers and campers. Large, eye-catching watercolors march pleasantly in step with the gentle text. A glossary and a small color photo of the real Chocolate complete the picture. Chessie, told in a rhyming text, presents the saga of a Florida manatee who, in 1994 and 1995, headed north, swimming for more than 1500 miles and ending up near Port Judith, Rhode Island. In `94, Chessie was airlifted home, but in `95 did the round-trip on his own. Many manatee facts are included, as are a map of Chessie's journeys, a glossary, and a small color photo. Large, realistic watercolors provide a watery backdrop for Chessie's "biography." Attractive and approachable titles.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Tom Chapin's warm narrations and original music plunge your child into the world of each animal. The stories come alive with real animal and environmental sounds.
Read listen to the true story of an endangered Florida manatee who made an unprecedented trip north to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where he earned his name "Chessie". Worried that impending cold weather would make him ill, experts captured Chessie and returned him to Florida. The following summer biologists tracked this travelin' man as he swam all the way from Florida to Rhode Island and back again.
From The Critics
Children's Literature
Sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States, this tale of a Florida Manatee and its travels is appealing despite its elementary sounding poetry. Designed to inspire sympathy for this endangered species, the illustrations alone are enough to hook any reader into becoming a member of the Save the Manatee Club which is offered at the end of the book. A glossary of related terms is also provided.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5Randy Houk's book (Benefactory, 1997) is presented in iconographic fashion in a delightful video that both children and adults will enjoy. Narrated by Tom Chapin, the gently rhyming text tells the true story of a manatee that made two extraordinary trips up the eastern coast of the United States. His 1995 arrival at Chesapeake Bay earned him his name. Rescued and returned to Florida, the next year he traveled even further north, making the return trip under his own power. The illustrations by Randy Houk and Paula Barlet are warm and colorful, beautifully matching the spirit of the text. The video also includes live-action footage of manatees, video of the original Chessie and his rescue from Chesapeake Bay, and information about manatees in general as well as their endangered status. With fascinating and well-presented information and high production values, this video will find eager viewers in any setting.Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
K-Gr 3--Chocolate follows the life of a female grizzly bear in Glacier National Park from her birth in a winter den to the birth of her own cub years later. The simple text includes a good deal of general information, as well as detailing the efforts of park rangers to move the fearless Chocolate to a remote area far from hikers and campers. Large, eye-catching watercolors march pleasantly in step with the gentle text. A glossary and a small color photo of the real Chocolate complete the picture. Chessie, told in a rhyming text, presents the saga of a Florida manatee who, in 1994 and 1995, headed north, swimming for more than 1500 miles and ending up near Port Judith, Rhode Island. In `94, Chessie was airlifted home, but in `95 did the round-trip on his own. Many manatee facts are included, as are a map of Chessie's journeys, a glossary, and a small color photo. Large, realistic watercolors provide a watery backdrop for Chessie's "biography." Attractive and approachable titles.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
