Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Face to Face with Dolphins
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
National Geographic Children's Books, 2007 ISBN: 978-1426301414
Flip Nicklin is an underwater photographer who specializes in taking pictures of whales and dolphins. Over the years, he has taken countless photos of dolphins, and in the process he has learned a lot about these wonderful mammals.
One thing that is very quickly obvious is that dolphins like to have fun. They like to play with each other, and if a handy human happens to be floating in the water they may even play with him too, which is what Flip discovered when he was photographing an Atlantic spotted dolphin called Romeo. Flip was taking pictures of dolphins off the coast of the Bahamas and Romeo decided to play a little game with him, making Flip spin like a top until he was dizzy.
There are thirty-three species of marine dolphins and five freshwater species. The largest of them all is the orca, which many people think is a whale because it is so big. All of these dolphins breathe air, and all of them use echolocation to find their way around their watery habitat. They can swim fast and hold their breath for a long time while they swim and hunt for food.
Dolphins are considered “social” animals because they live in groups. Living in groups makes it possible for them to cooperate to hunt for food and to protect their young from predators. Unfortunately, dolphins face the same kinds of problems that other marine animals face. They are affected by pollution, fisheries, and global warming and we all need to do what we can to protect these intelligent, curious, and fun-loving animals.
In this excellent National Geographic title, Flip and Linda Nicklin help young readers to better understand how special dolphins are. The engaging text is paired with wonderful full color photographs that capture the beauty of these delightful animals.
At the back of the book, readers will find more dolphin facts, and there is also information about how they can help with dolphin conservation.
