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DOLPHINS ON THE SAND by Jim Arnosky

DOLPHINS ON THE SAND

by Jim Arnosky & illustrated by Jim Arnosky

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24606-7
Publisher: Putnam

A pod of dolphins resting on a sandbar finds itself stranded when the tide recedes, until humans in rescue boats come with aid. Appropriately for the intended preschool audience, the narrative focus is on a young dolphin and his mother. Tension builds with the arrival of a school of hungry sharks, but the rescuers take advantage of a nearby lagoon to offer a safe temporary refuge. Arnosky’s soft-hued paintings, varied in size and placement on the page, show the animals in their ecological context, with accurate, identifiable birds and shells, and children involved in the rescue. In an explanatory afterword, he terms this quiet story, based on an actual event the naturalist and his wife observed, “an idealized account.” Once again, this prolific illustrator, author of more than 100 books, has created an appealing path for children to follow toward a better appreciation of the wonders of the natural world. (Informational picture book. 3-5)