The Truth About Dolphins by Maxwell Eaton III

Boy, will your students ever love this book!  This informational book is written in the format similar to a graphic novel than traditional informational text.  There is no table of contents, no index or glossary and there are no real photographs, but it is completely full of interesting facts about dolphins and is delivered in such an entertaining medium.  The book has several puns and lots of witty humor coupled with interesting facts that keep the reader engaged until the end.  The end of the book contains a file that is written in the same format as the rest of the book that shows even more amazing facts about dolphins.

Some key topics that are discussed are dolphin birth, echolocation, dolphin behavior, preservation and types of dolphins.  The birth discussion is thorough but very appropriate for young readers. Echolocation is explained in a factual and humorous way.  The book shows the reader how dolphins enjoy play just as children do.  It also explains threats to dolphins such as pollution and boating traffic.  Plus, a variety of dolphin species is presented.

This book is another great read to explore for an IRA (Interactive Read Aloud).  The only thing I think the book could possibly be missing is maybe an index of real photographs of some different dolphin species.  However, the graphic novel format appeals to readers and the illustrations effectively tell the detailed story in pictures of what the text tells us with words.   This book will be added to my "Best of the Best" list to share with my teachers.  Seriously great read!