Absolute Expert: Dolphins
by Jennifer Swanson, with Justine Jackson-Ricketts
112 pages; ages 8-12
National Geographic Kids, 2018
Justine Jackson-Ricketts is a marine biologist who loves dolphins. Good thing, because she is our guide into the world of dolphins. She does research on community ecology – that means she is learning how dolphins interact with each other and their environments.
In this book she and Jennifer Swanson team up to tell us all about dolphins, beginning with how they are related to each other and where to find them. Then we get a close-up look at dolphins, inside and out. They have streamlined heads so they can cut through water quickly, and their flippers have bones that look almost like fingers. They’ve got rubbery skin, layers of blubber, and a brain designed for problem-solving.
What I like about this book: The photography is gorgeous! And I really enjoy having Justine along for the read, because she (and Jennifer) explain everything in terms a non-dolphin can understand. I love the “Deep Dives” at the end of each chapter – hands-on activities that extend your understanding of life as a dolphin. And I love the Dolphin Personality Quiz. Turns out I’m a bottlenose dolphin. Click-ck-ck! Squeeeek? Bzzzzt!
Head over to Archimedes Notebook for another dolphin book and some beyond-the-book activities.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
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