J. Rooker, Manatee

by Jan Haley, Paul Brent (Illustrator)

A manatee of the southwest Florida coast is injured, then rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to the wild. Based on a true story.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Mariah]

This made my heart squeeze with so much emotion. Even more so knowing how many manatees have been lost these past few years. It’s so sad to see these giant and peaceful loving creatures to die because humans are careless or downright cruel. Manatees are amazing creatures and I hope somehow someway we get to keep these creatures alive for centuries to come- no matter how bleak it’s looking now I have hope for the future.

[Nicole Cooper]

This book is the reason I love manatees. <3

[Lori]

This story follows a manatee. Sadly, he becomes injured by a passing powerboat. He is comforted by the 'Great One' but is in great pain and becoming weaker and it's feared he might die. Biologist capture and transport him to the zoo. Prior to returning him to his kind, he is rehabilitated and given the name J. Rooker.

My Thoughts: This is an eye-opening look about the unfortunate situations Manatee's face. I found it must be a real labor of love for the author. The watercolor illustrations are lovely and heartwarming as they depict these social marine mammals as they nuzzle up against one another.

I have an autographed copy of this beautiful book.