Sharon Bokoske

I had mixed feeling about this book after reading it. I liked the way it used illustrations to enhance the story but I was disappointed in the way it was written.
The illustrations used in this book are very well done and well placed throughout the flow of the story. The drawings and use of art help the reader make connections to the different facts the story is presenting about dolphins. For example, with the passage “Dolphins are mammal, like us. They breathe through a hole on the top of their heads. It’s called a blowhole.” They include a detailed drawing of the dolphin outlining right where the blowhole is located. Also, one page in the book lists the many different things humans have been able to teach dolphins such as, raise a flag, shake hands, ring bells and bat balls. With each one of those activities a picture is included in order to show the reader how the dolphin accomplishes the task. The illustrations add a depth to the story that not only makes its fun for a younger child to read but the pictures will help them remember what they read long after they put the book down.
The way this book is written is most certainly its downfall. While the book does present all of the information it wants too, it falls short in the way the language flows for the reader. It feels as if the writing is broken, at times the sections become fragmented. For example, the following passage it broken up into a bunch of disconnected sentences whereas the use of commas instead of breaks would have served the flow better. “Dolphins live in groups. They help each other out. Sometimes a dolphin gets sick. Or hurt. It sinks in the water-and can’t come up for air.” Most of the book is written in this format and it just feels like a distraction from all the amazing facts that the book tells.
The big idea of the book Dolphins, is to educate readers about the many different aspects of dolphins. Such as, the way they live in the wild versus their lives in captivity with humans. It also goes into great detail about the different types of dolphins, and provides descriptions of their physiology and biology.… (mere)

This is a great informational and picture book for students in the 1st and 2nd grade that are interested in learning more about dolphins. The language of the book is set in a conversational and narrative tone. It provides facts through telling stories and describing different experiences. I think this makes the book more engaging for the reader. The student is not just reading facts listed on a page or having to decode through high level academic language. For example, “Dolphins seem to like us too. Some dolphins come close to shore. They swim right up to people. In Australia dolphins let people pet them”. This provides students with facts that dolphins like people and there are dolphins in Australia that allow people to pet them. The book did not just state the facts but presented them in a narrative form. The book provided a lot more information such as, the different types of dolphins, what they like to eat, how they communicate and many more facts. I think the overall central idea of the book is to provide interesting information to the reader about dolphins.… (mere)