If a Dolphin Were a Fish (bk 1) (32 pgs)

Wlodarski, Loran (2006). If a dolphin were a fish. Sylvan Dell Publishing. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Summary:
Wlodarski creates a vivid character in Delfina the dolphin. The author follows Delfina through the ocean as she runs into other sea creatures. While Delfina is “playing” with the other sea creatures the author points out how they are different. It’s a wonderful story of the difference between most sea animals and dolphins.

Author: Loran Wlodarski
Illustrator: Laurie Allen Klein
Illustrations: Illustrations were created using colored pencil and take up most of the two page spreads. The illustrations follow the story line and give life to the story.
Access Features: Creative Minds: Dolphin Adaptation Craft
Grade Level: PreK-2
Book Design: Book is long like a dolphin and the cover is an illustration of a dolphin with a fish swimming together in the ocean. The border of the book is red and that is reflected in the red color of the end pages.
Writing Style: Wlodarski uses simple language to tell the story of Delfina the dolphin so that children will be able to understand the biology concepts being presented in the story. She also uses some technical terms but explains them well so they aren’t hard to understand.
Curriculum: Science
Classroom Use: This would be a great resource to use when talking about the different types of animals and how they adapt to their surroundings.
Standards: Life Science
Awards: Children’s Choices 2006
Author Credibility: The author is a science writer for the Education Department at SeaWorld Orlando. He has written five books and has been published in Groiler’s Encyclopedia for Children and The Marine Mammal Encyclopedia. I believe his background makes him an expert on the subject.
Related Texts: Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean by Gail Langer Karwoski; Octavia and her Purple Ink Cloud by: Donna Rathmell; Ocean Seasons by: Ron Hirschi; Carolina’s Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too! by: Donna Rathmell; A Day in the Salt Marsh by: Kevin Kurtz

Response:
This was such a fun book that is an easy way to talk about the difference between dolphins and other sea creatures. It’s a fun way to get students interested in animal biology at a young age and is so full of facts it makes it so memorable.