Meeting Dolphins

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

The subject of the IMAX film Dolphins tells her own career story while providing dolphins information in this nonfiction photo essay. Dudzinski's oceanic interests began when she spent time with her family at the Massachusetts seaside every year and also raised and observed animals. Both prepared her well to begin a career in marine biology. Her college work led her to dolphins as did two graduate programs which included studying how dolphins communicate. She has also invented an underwater camera with microphones to record and study dolphin sounds and their clues to dolphin behaviors. Numerous large photos present the young woman at work underwater, in the lab, and on boats and show multiple behaviors of dolphins fighting and playing, signaling with teeth or bubbles, or interacting with humans. Thirty-six different species of dolphins are depicted to scale in an elegant double-page spread at the book's end which call attention to dolphin variety. A useful research tool if a student can dig for the information, the readable text presents plenty of facts and scientific speculation to digest. Other interesting backmatter includes a "warning" about the illegality of trying to swim with wild dolphins, resources to contact, and an index. Put this on display with recent biographies of Eugenie Clark and Sylvia Earle and books about ocean research to introduce children to oceanography, one of the most exciting career fields around. 2000, National Geographic, Ages 8 to 12, $17.95. Reviewer: Susan Hepler—Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-An eye-catching, informative chronicle by a marine biologist whose specialty is studying dolphins in their natural environment-the open ocean. Many of the sparkling, full-color photos were a natural outgrowth of Dudzinski's work on the IMAX film Dolphins, in which she is featured, and their sharp clarity is a pellucid window into a watery world often glimpsed only in dim mystery. The readable narrative includes biographical and career information, giving young enthusiasts a glimmer of what it takes to become a marine biologist, as well as descriptions of the author's research projects and scientific equipment. Threaded throughout is a raft of detail on dolphins-their socialization, communication, feeding behaviors, physical characteristics, and more-all accompanied by those limpid color photos. Notes on the Marine Mammal Protection Act regarding dolphins, a list of resources, and a bright two-page pictorial chart of the world's dolphins are appended (sadly, sizes are not noted). Laurence Pringle's fine Dolphin Man (Atheneum, 1995), Wayne Grover's mystical Dolphin Adventure (Greenwillow, 1990), and Don C. Reed's very personal The Dolphins and Me (Little, Brown, 1989; o.p.) are already in most collections, but libraries will still want to make room for this bright, clearly written entry.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|