Dolphins

Friendly and fascinating, dolphins are one of nature's most intelligent animals. They live in families called pods and can make a series of 2,000 high-pitched clicks to locate fish in the water. Despite their beauty and playfulness, dolphins face serious dangers from commercial fishing and human activity. It's vital that people support governmental laws to protect these wonderful creatures.

Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution to give you an expert view of these clever, curious, and mischievous mammals in a full-color photographic introduction.

Children's Literature

Seymour Simon presents the reader with an abundance of factual information about dolphins in this text. Due to the density of the text, the book is best for readers who are already excited by the topic and those in the upper end of the recommended 5-9 age-range. The first half of the book covers topics such as dolphins that "play" with people, classification, dolphins versus porpoises, feeding habits, use of echolocation, and social behavior. The second half of the book offers a more in-depth look at four species, their size, markings, specialized adaptations, and habits. The book concludes with information about how humans have negatively impacted dolphins and how people can help. Clear, appealing, page-size photos accompany each spread. Labeling of these photos and/or inclusion of additional photos (i.e., for comparison of dolphins and porpoises) would have helped in the comprehension of the text. Although the book has a clearly designed structure, it does not use headings to clarify the structure for the reader. One page of back matter includes a glossary, index, and a section that lists suggested web pages and additional books on the subject matter. Reviewer: Heather L. Montgomery

Seymour Simon has been called "the dean of the [children's science book] field" by the New York Times. He has written more than 250 books for young readers and is the recipient of the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books, the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people, and the Educational Paperback Association Jeremiah Ludington Award. He is also the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature. Mr. Simon lives in Great Neck, New York.