Join Delfina the dolphin as she imagines that she becomes other sea animals: a fish, a sea turtle, a pelican, an octopus, a shark, even a manatee! The incredible morphing illustrations will have children laughing as they learn about the real differences between these ocean animals and their respective classes. FPA Gold President's Book Award Available in Spanish paperback edition: Si un delfín fuera un pez Kindergarten-Grade 2–A bottlenose dolphin wonders what being a different animal would be like. This conceit is used to teach facts about other creatures; for example, if Delfina were a fish, she'd spend her time entirely underwater and not have to come to the surface to breathe. When she wonders what it would be like to be a sea turtle, she has a turtle shell; when she wonders about manatees, she eats plants. However, when she imagines being a bird, she is almost unrecognizable; some children will have trouble finding her on the page, and the bird is not identified as a pelican. The colored-pencil illustrations are muted and sometimes confusing; Delfina swims by icebergs on one page and in a reef on another. The story presents only minimal facts about dolphins, never even mentioning that they are mammals, and the text is simply not interesting enough to read aloud. Back matter includes more facts and a reproducible Dolphin Adaptation Craft. For a story about dolphins, try Lambert Davis's Swimming with Dolphins (Scholastic, 2004). For facts, there are plenty of easy choices, including Allan Fowler's Friendly Dolphins (Children's Press, 1997). –Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This book would make a great read-aloud story for young children, as the illustrations are bound to hold their attention. I would recommend this text to teachers of children in Pre K-grade 3 who want to address the topic of adaptations, especially among sea creatures. - NSTA Recommends This book will be satisfying reading, and I am certain that young children will listen intently or read it themselves. - Science Books & Films Delfina is a bottlenose dolphin who imagines what it would be like to be other animals: what if she were a manatee or an octopus? Colored-pencil illustrations combine Delfina’s dolphin features with other animals’ and interesting information about dolphin anatomy and behavior is presented with each comparison. Additional facts follow the text. - Horn Book Guide "If a Dolphin Were a Fish" is part of the Accelerated Reader program used in over 57,000 schools. FROM THE ILLUSTRATOR: Dear friends, and you who have followed Delfina's quick-change adventures---or want to---are indeed dear friends. It was the dream of a lifetime to illustrate "If a Dolphin Were a Fish" and I am honored to be able to share her story and my pictures with you. Every summer my family would come to Florida on vacation, and I would sit on my grandmother's patio drawing and making up stories. Even then, my favorite characters were dolphins and manatees. I remember the feelings of joy and excitement that came over me whenever I saw a dorsal fin in the water. I am grateful that the thrill never went away; I still smile whenever I see a wild dolphin, and now I have been given the opportunity to turn my childhood patio pictures into a real book, filled not only with dolphins but with other wild and whimsical animals you've never seen before! Of course, that's the beauty of books--anything can happen. So thank you for sharing the fun, and thank you so much for sharing my dolphin smile! Best wishes, Laurie Allen Klein Loran Wlodarski is a science writer for SeaWorld and has written five books for them in addition to his many normal daily responsibilities. He has been published in Grolier's Encyclopedia for Children and The Marine Mammal Encyclopedia. In addition, Loran has served as a scientific consultant for Ask Magazine, Random House Books, Animal Planet, Ripley's Believe It Or Not,and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Loran has raised animals his entire life, and one of his early jobs at SeaWorld's Education Department was to raise newly hatched sharks, macaws, turtles, tropical fish, and iguanas. Award-winning illustrator Laurie Allen Klein has been a freelance artist for nearly 25 years. Over the last several years, she has worked as the on-staff artist for a marine park, where she does everything from painting life-size sea animal murals to illustrating children's activity books. Laurie has also illustrated Dear Komodo Dragon, Saving Kate's Flowers, Balloon Trees, Fur and Feathers, The Ghost of Donley Farm, If a Dolphin Were a Fish, Little Skink's Tail, Meet the Planets, Solar System Forecast, They Just Know and Where Should Turtle Be? for Arbordale. Laurie lives in Florida. "Delfina is a bottlenose dolphin. She lives in the ocean with many of her friends. Delfina often wonders what it would be like to be ot