Product Description

From time to time
I dream that
I'm a manatee,
Undulating
underneath
the sea

A little boy dreams of becoming a manatee, and what a dream it is! With his new gigan-atee manatee proportions, he sets off on an underwater adventure with his manatee friends.

Join John Lithgow and Ard Hoyt on this silly aquatic escapade, then sing along with John, who performs "I'm a Manatee" on the enclosed CD.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289240 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689854279
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Not blessed with the adorable good looks of a koala, the mythic mystery of a dinosaur, or even the useful familiarity of a dog, the manatee is an infrequent hero in the world of children's literature. It doesn't help matters that the poor thing has a name that's so difficult to rhyme. But the unnamed hero of John Lithgow and Ard Hoyt's I'm a Manatee (really, a boy dreaming he is a manatee) sees plenty of upside to the life of the animal that's been indelicately nicknamed the "cow of the sea." And when rhymes are unavailable to state his case, he simply makes some up: "Encumbered by my lumbering gigan-atee,/ I'm thought to be an ocean-going brute!/ The least appealing creature on the planet-ee,/ But to a manatee, I'm cute!" The words in the book are the same as the lyrics in the song version of I'm a Manatee, which is included on an enclosed CD featuring a singing Lithgow as well as in musical notation in the back of the book. The verses sound more natural in their original musical form than they do read aloud in the pages of the book where they can clunk a bit. Still, there's much to like about in this aquatic flight of fancy, including the kind of wordplay moms and dads will enjoy (very few kids' books contain the phrase "immune from human folly and inanity") and Hoyt's illustrations of the title animal, which manages to be simultaneously homely and adorable. (Ages 4 to 8) --John Moe

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Lithgow applies his facility with music and language to create a witty, whimsical underwater fantasy. Based on the premise of a boy who dreams that he is a manatee, this song has sophisticated vocabulary and a dignified cadence and rhyme. Many elementary school children will not understand words like "inanity," "urbanity," "idle vanity," and "encumbered," so adults may need to translate the verses. Also, reading aloud requires practice in order to master the rhythm. However, music is the universal language understood by all, so just pop in the accompanying CD and stride along with the humorous lyrics and steady beat. Done in colored pencils, pen, and ink, the full- and double-page illustrations are fun and engaging. Hoyt's smirking manatees are positively endearing. An amusing accompaniment to units on this popular species.
Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A charming, fanciful tale." -- People

"The writing is out of this world." -- Parents

"Sophisticated and silly at the same time, Lithgow's voice will keep kids on their toes." -- Kirkus Reviews

Customer Reviews

Lithgow pens another hit!
I saw this book and could not resist it. Being a lover of "Marsuial Sue," and a manatee fanatic, I had to get it. The book is so witty. John Lithgow is a remarkable linguist. The music is also very cute, and the illustrations are adorable. I highly recommend this book, as well as other Lithgow titles. I promise you'll enjoy them =)

How does he do that!?!?!?!
How does John Lithgow manage to teach such an important concept in such a fun way. My daughter was introduced to Mantees for the first time in this book and she ended up adoring them. The book has a couple pages of illustration that subtly introduce the plight of the Manatee and why they are endangered. I chose to take that opportunity to educate my daughter on why Manatees are endangered.

We are planning a trip to Sea World so she can see Mantees and she is thrilled. Thank you John Lithgow for your excellent educational, extremely fun books. Keep them coming.

Manatee Lovers Unite!
I am a long time manatee enthusiast - so much so that I collect them. I remember the first time I set eyes on a manatee I said, "This is so ugly it's adorable!"

Fast forward 10+ years to John Lithgow's amazing poetic and musical love song to both the manatee and life itself and yes, here is a surefire way to share my admiration of manatees with my three year old son.

This beautifully illustrated, cleverly worded and musically accompanied book combines humor and education to give children a memorable excursion into the life (and challenges and delights) of being a manatee.

Take it one step further and inquire with your children.... " Do you ever dream of being a (fill in the blank of their favored animal.)?"

"What would that be like?"

Lithgow stretches the imagination of each reader and participant in this tremendous book - and you can expand it even wider. This is one I will never tire of reading... no make that experiencing. It would be a treasure on every child's bookshelf.