Dolphins on the Sand

by Jim Arnosky

Gently beautiful pictures and simple descriptions detail the plight of a group of dolphins stranded on a beach. Unable to swim back to the safety of deep water when the tide goes out, the dolphins lie helpless as dark falls. They are discovered by a kyaker who goes for help and then a team of people arrives. They keep the dolphins wet, move them to a safer location, ward off sharks who know the dolphins will be weak, and finally release them back into the ocean. The book makes it clear to young readers what work is involved in saving stranded dolphins, as well as pointing out that we don't know why dolphins strand themselves, with a few theories. The pictures are lovely, and alternate between bright pastel colors when all is well and more sombre hues when the dolphins are in trouble. The details are nice, too- lots of local flora and fauna are pictured, as well as small decorative panels with seashells, bird footprints in the sand, etc. A nice touch.

Rating: 4/5 32 pages, 2008

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