Product Description
These passive "sea cows" have been enjoying the warm waters of the earth for millions of years, grazing on water plants. Unfortunately, their numbers are diminishing, as they suffer from loss of habitat, assaults by boat propellers, and entanglement in fishing line and other human debris. This book chronicles their life history, threats to their continued survival, and positive steps being taken to protect them from extinction. ... Read more

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Facts about manatees presented through the investigations of an inquisitive nearly eleven-year-old girl. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I like this book because it was easy to understand.
It would be a very nice story for a teacher to read to her students when they are studying manatees. ... Read more

Product Description
The area known as Manatee County opened for settlement at the close of the Second Seminole War in 1841. This was due to Congress's passage of the Armed Occupational Act of 1842, which allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of land at a cost of $1.25 an acre if they were able to bear arms and live on the land for five years. It wasn't long before settlers appeared up and down the beautiful Manatee River, led by Josiah Gates and his family on the south side. Many of his friends had suffered losses with the collapse of the Union Bank in Tallahassee and were anxious to join him. The opulent shores on both sides of the river quickly enticed other settlers to make their claims, offering a cornucopia filled with some of Florida's best resources for growth and prosperity. This volume provides a pictorial account of those lives, which were caught in the struggle to carve out a niche against all odds in a place that faced epidemics of yellow fever, malaria, typhoid, and a third uprising of the Seminole Indians. In 1861, Florida seceded from the Union, which was followed by the Civil War with a Union victory in 1865 that brought an end to slavery and plantation ownership. ... Read more

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Brenna, Maggie, and Zoe go to Florida to visit a manatee rescue center, where they learn about these endangered marine mammals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

MANATEE BLUES
This is the fourth book in the WILD AT HEART series about young vet volunteers. You've read about Maggie, Sunita, and David. This book is about Brenna, and manatees. Manatees are large marine mammals. They look something like floating elephants. They're related to elephants, too, as well as to aardvarks and hyraxes. Did you know that? Brenna did. She loves manatees. She did a school project on them and got an A+. Now she gets to travel by airplane to Florida with Dr. Mac and her two granddaughters, Maggie and Zoe, to work in a rescue mission for manatees. And she is jazzed! She takes along her camera with its zoom lens, and she can't wait to meet Dr. Mac's former pupil, Gretchen, who runs the rescue mission. Of course, her mother's parting words, "Be polite, watch your temper, and think before you open your mouth," get Brenna into trouble --- when she forgets them!

They no sooner arrive at the mission than Gretchen and her assistant Carlos get a phone call about a wounded manatee that needs help. Brenna wants to go along, and she makes Dr. Mac mad by asking Gretchen to let them. But Gretchen says it's okay. When they find the manatee, they discover that it's Violet, an old friend of Gretchen and Carlos. She's been struck by a boat. The propeller ripped into her back, broke her ribs, and punctured a lung. She's been floating, helpless and in pain, for weeks. Gretchen and Carlos don't know whether they can save her or not. When they get her back to the mission, Gretchen lets Dr. Mac and the girls watch the surgery.

While Violet is recuperating from the first surgery, Gretchen takes Dr. Mac and the girls on a floating restaurant cruise to the Gulf of Mexico. Is that neat or what? While Brenna tries to figure out which fork to use (she has three), she notices an abandoned baby manatee thrashing in the water. Gretchen uses Brenna's camera with its telephoto lens to see that the baby is tangled in the rope of a crab pot. The tide is coming in, and the baby will drown unless someone rescues him. Gretchen puts on a life jacket and jumps overboard. Brenna thinks she needs help and jumps in, too --- without a life jacket. Gretchen isn't happy about that, and Dr. Mac is steamed about it.

They rescue the baby and take it to the mission. Carlos says Brenna can name him. She names him Key Lime. That's her pie that was melting while she helped Gretchen rescue him. Key Lime needs an adopted mother, and he wants Violet to volunteer. But Violet is getting worse, so Gretchen and Carlos have to operate on her again. But there is even more terrible news than that. The mission is in debt. It needs hundreds of thousands of dollars just to survive, and Gretchen's bank loan is denied. Even if they can save Violet and Key Lime, they can't save the mission. Or can they? I'll give you some clues: Brenna's camera and a baseball game. Got it? Then you'd better read the book!

--- Reviewed by Tamara Penny

AWESOME !!!!
This book was so awesome I felt like I was in Florida !This story was about a girl named Brenna who really liked manatees. One day Dr. Mac
decided to take Maggie,Zoe,and Brenna to Florida to visit a manatee
rescue center,that needs money really bad.You will have to read the
bookto find out what happens next. I really enjoyed this story because
I love animals,especially manatees!

CRAZY about'' Manatee Blues ''
I think this book is AWESOME it's my faivorite in the series !
It's about this girl named Brenna who gose to Florida with some other volunteers from Wild at Heart animal clinic to reaserch Manatees and really makes a diference. I would recamend this book to any persone that likes water animals or just wants a Great book.

WOW!!!!
This book is very intriguing, I couldn't put it down! Brenna and two other friends (Zoe and Maggie) went to Florda to study manatees. When they get there they meet a marine biologist who works at a rescue center for manatees and other animals. This place needs ALOT of money to stay open. When Brenna takes a picture of a famous baseball player driving his boat too fast where manatees may be, and then shows it to him after his baseball game... Did she just save the rescue center? I suggest this book to anyone who likes water animals, and alot of adventure.

Wild at Heart
I absolutely LOVE any Wild at Heart Books, and I can never put them down.I would strongly suggest that you buy this book for you, friend, or a family member.Anyone could find something that they enjoy in these books!!! ... Read more

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Product Description
A manatee of the southwest Florida coast is injured, then rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to the wild. Based on a true story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's a great way to learn about this endangered animal.
When a friend first introduced me to the book, J. Rooker, Manatee, we were in the middle of an endangered species unit with our third grade classes.We shared this unique manatee story with the students, and they wereimmediately moved by it's contents (the painted illustrations werebeautiful, too).The story of J. Rooker helped the children see how easyan animal's life is threatened when humans are careless with motor boats inour waterways.In addition, the children learned a great deal aboutmanatees from the cleverly placed facts in the story, and from the last few"fact pages" in the book.We've recommended this book to manyteacher friends in other states and have bought copies for gifts, as well. It's a truly wonderful story! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Even a native Floridian can learn some fun facts about Florida animals
Author Jan Annino has a lively, entertaining style that makes you think of an old-time story-teller.Her research is impeccable and her subjects are engaging.I highly recommend this book, not only for young readers but for anyone who loves animals and appreciates Florida's interesting animals.Natives (manatee, Florida panther) and non-natives (hippo, elephant) receive well deserved attention.My favorite entries were Brownie, the Town Dog of Daytona Beach; and Jet, the Runway Dog.I'm sure you will find a favorite as well!

What a fun read!
I picked up this delightful book mainly because it had a chapter on Lu, the famous movie-star hippo of Homosassas Springs. I ended up reading it cover to cover, laughing & smiling the entire time. An absolutely enjoyable read.Highly recommended for anyone who loves animals, and wants to learn more about some of Florida's most interesting (and famous!) denizens. ... Read more

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While visiting Uncle Phil in Florida, Carrie and Ben find out all about the gentle aquatic giant known as the manatee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

wonderful tale of the manatee, one of the animals injured in the gulf oil spill
This book is really presented wonderfully and the reader can learn much about this endangered species. The recent gulf spill affected both the swinming and feeding grounds of this magnificent animal. THe manatee is a specialspecies and the author resents the text clearly and in a language easy to understand. My Appaloosa: A Journal for Anyone Interested in Understanding Horses with bonus insert on painting and drawing horses ... Read more

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"Manatees and Dugongs of the World" covers the four living species of the sirenian, as well as the extinct Stellar's Sea Cow.

Jeff Ripple details the natural history of the sirenian, including evolution, range, movement and habitat use, physical description, senses, anatomy and physiology, and more. Also devotes a chapter to sirens in myth and tradition and a chapter to the protection of the sirenian. Amazon.com Review
The sirenians, as scientists call them, are familiar denizens of theworld's subtropical waters, well known to visitors to the Red Sea, theFlorida keys, and Australia. In ancient times, around the world, thesecreatures, the manatees and dugongs, were thought to bear a magical kinshipto humans, giving rise to stories of mermaids and sirens. Surprisingly,writes marine biologist Jeff Ripple, little was known about the sireniansuntil the late 1940s, when Florida-based scientists began to study themclosely. His book, well illustrated with large-format photographs by DougPerrine, interprets these scientists' findings for a general audience.Ripple offers accounts of the behavior and life ways of the Trichechidae,the family that embraces the West Indian, Amazonian, and West Africanmanatees, and of the Dugongidae, which includes the dugong and thenow-extinct Steller's sea cow. He also describes conservation efforts thathave been undertaken in recent years, with mixed results as populations ofwild animals continue to decline around the world. To protect the remainingsirenians, Ripple writes, will require controversial measures, includingrestrictions on the development of waterfront land and on boating inmanatee and dugong habitat. The time for such measures, he adds, is growingever shorter. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

great book!
This book has great pictures, good narrative and everything you would want in an educational book about manatees.It would be an excellent school or student resource, and is packed with lots of information and interesting facts.I recommend it for kids 8 and up to adults.

Most comprehensive book for the public
As a manatee scientist and co-founder of Sirenian International, Inc. (http://www.sirenian.org), I would rate this beautifully illustrated introduction to manatees and dugongs of the world as "the best choice" for all reading levels at or above high school.I have purchased the hardback edition and also sell the softcover edition in our giftshop.Although the book has full color, absolutely georgeous images on almost every page, it is also a comprehensive and complete introduction to the Order Sirenia, which is comprised on only 4 extant, and endangered species around the world.

Manatees are the best mammals
The Manatee and the Dugong are water mammals that spend there time eating marine grass and other water plants.They are similar in apearance but are quite different.Manatees are bigger and are found throughout the world. The Dugong is found in africa and is smaller and skinner.The two mammalsare fun to learn about and have some cool things about them.They are bothendangered and might go extinct in the next 5 to 10 yrs.In my opinion Ithink they are the best animals of the ocean.

Manatees are the best mammals
The Manatee and the Dugong are water mammals that spend there time eating marine grass and other water plants.They are similar in apearance but are quite different.Manatees are bigger and are found throughout the world. The Dugong is found in africa and is smaller and skinner.The two mammalsare fun to learn about and have some cool things about them.They are bothendangered and might go extinct in the next 5 to 10 yrs.In my opinion Ithink they are the best animals of the ocean.

Stunning and Comprehensive Guide to Mysterious Manatees
This is probably the most extensive work on the subject that will satisfy any level of interest from the browser to the academic.Not only are the photographs of luminous clarity, they capture defining moments in themanatees' life cycle.Even more unusual are the photographs of all thedugong species around the world, not only the ones found along the Floridacoast.It is both a satisfying picture book for all ages as well as auseful reference work for anyone interested in this endangered marinemammal. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the physical characteristics, behavior, and evolution of this gentle creature. ... Read more

Product Description

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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MANATEES ROCK
I love this book. I bought it for my second grade nephew and my niece who will be 4 in January. I absolutely love it. A great story and it explains about Manatees at a child's level which is informative and educational not boring or hard to understand. I am glad that I bought this book from AMAZON. I read this at Sea World in Orlando and I loved it. I also love Armadillo's Orange and All about turkeys by Jim Arnosky. He writes such great animal stories for young children. I highly recommend him to any parent with young children ... Read more

Product Description
Save the Manatees 2011 Wall Calendar: Save the Manatees Wall Calendar: Manatees live in rivers, bays and coastal waters of the southern United States, Central America and northern South America. Florida is known to host a year round population of these giant, vegetarian sea mammals. However, the Manatee is classified as an endangered species. Featuring splendid underwater photography, this wall calendar offers a rare close-up glimpse of these extraordinary and gentle creatures. ... Read more

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Mysterious Manatees is a synergistic partnership between photographer Karen Glaser and writer and scholar John Reynolds, two of the nation's leading interpreters--one artistic, one scientific--of the life and underwater habitat of the manatee. This union of science and art makes for a compelling exploration of the manatee through two independent essays--one textual, one visual--in a book addressed to both specialists and a general audience.

To some, an emblem of the tranquility and beauty of natural Florida, to others an obstacle to fast-track growth and good times, the endangered Florida manatee arouses the passions of those who have encountered it and the curiosity of those who have only heard about this huge, enigmatic inhabitant of Florida's coastal waterways.

The book opens with Reynolds's scientific account of the interactions between people and manatees, describing the history of manatee hunting, relating what is known about their early distribution and survival, and clarifying the debate about whether manatees are native to Florida.

Reynolds also discusses manatee biology and the features that make the animal especially vulnerable to human activities. Reynolds's complete and authoritative account of manatee biology, management, and conservation concludes with a gallery of plates featuring Glaser's remarkable panoramic photographs. Glaser’s 52 beautiful duotone prints capture an intimate, distinctively natural vision of manatees in their own environment, an underwater world illuminated only by the sunlight above. The manatees were photographed in all the diverse conditions that comprise their environment: mud, muck, clear water, rain, sunny or cloudy weather--all illuminate the forms of these magnificent animals. Mysterious Manatees will appeal to wildlife professionals, amateur naturalists, environmentalists, and lovers of fine photography as a unique combination of fact and image that provides a compelling sense of the mysterious presence of these large yet gentle and graceful sea creatures.

Published in cooperation with the Center for American Places. ... Read more

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Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat and endangered status of this gentle sea animal that is a relative of the elephant. ... Read more

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A fascinating new work from an internationally renowned poet

Anne Waldman’s new investigative hybrid-poem explores the nuances of inter-species communication and compassion. It draws on animal lore, animal encounters (with grey wolf and manatee), dreams, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and Buddhist ritual to render a text of remarkable sympathy, reciprocity, and power. The poem asks questions as well as urges further engagement with the endangered (including our human selves). Part performance litany, part survival kit, part worried mammalian soundings, Waldman explores, as ever, what it means to inhabit our condition through language and imagination inside a wheel of time. This is the mature work of a philosophical field poet with a shamanic metabolism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An intriguing work of verse, sure to make many a reader ponder their roots
They share the earth with us, but do we truly understand them? "Manatee/Humanity" is a collection of poetry from Anne Waldman, who presents a collection of poetry focusing on the relationships that mankind has with the animal kingdom. Drawing inspiration from evolution, animal empathy, and all things that link humans with the rest of their animal brethren, "Manatee/Humanity" is an intriguing work of verse, sure to make many a reader ponder their roots. ... Read more