DOLPHIN FREEDOM

Rife with adventure, this title from Grover (Dolphin Adventure, 1990, etc.) continues the story of his ongoing relationship with a special group of dolphins in Florida. When poachers from nearby Bahamas capture Baby and several other dolphins, Grover, with the assistance of friends Amos and Jack, sets out to rescue them. Their daring plan takes them to Dead Man Cay, a notorious island where they discover not only Baby and the members of his pod, but a shocking total of 14 wild dolphins penned in fetid concrete tanks, bound for amusement centers throughout Mexico. The danger to Grover and his allies is real; the poachers interrupt their escape and are clearly intent on killing them. The dolphins ultimately save their human friends. For those keeping tallies, dolphins emerge as more civilized than humans in most of this tale. Grover details the poachers’ brutal treatment of the creatures and several violent interactions between them and the rescuers, while the dolphins merely play “seamen soccer” with the villains. References to Grover’s inexplicable mental connection to the creatures, especially in times of crisis, combined with intimations that the tale may be autobiographical, will encourage readers to explore the complex lives of dolphins. The fast-paced action never overwhelms the cause—protecting the dolphins—that is so obviously dear to the author’s heart. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 8-12)