  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 09/01/2015 Gr 2–4—Manuela and her father spend much of their days catching fish on the Amazon. When they harpoon an adult manatee (a prized but illegal practice), Manuela and her father find a baby manatee beside their kill. Manuela's father plans to sell the calf, but Manuela, whose mother died when she was a baby, plans a rescue instead. With the help of her courageous cousin, her fearless grandmother, and eventually the entire community, Manuela mothers the manatee and educates the village so the animals are enjoyed not for their meat but for their beauty and gentility. Davies is a zoologist, whose knowledge comes through; she thoughtfully weaves information about the natural world into moments of action and bravery. This book is based on the true story of an orphaned manatee and the efforts of an organization (Natütama) to save the Amazonian creature. Davies includes many Native words with footnotes explaining their definitions. Wright's periodic, bold-line illustrations add an authentic folksy feel to the narrative. VERDICT This is a good addition to chapter book collections and will be valuable for understanding animal conservation, familiarizing students with Amazonian cultures, and encouraging grassroots activism for tenacious kids.—Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 12/15/2015 Manuela has always thought it would be exciting to successfully hunt and kill a manatee. But she changes her mind after she and her father, Silvio, go fishing along the Amazon and manage to harpoon a female manatee and capture her injured baby calf. In this compelling animal-rights adventure, Manuela takes pity on the orphaned manatee, and she and her cousin Libia spirit it away from Silvio before he can sell it. They find refuge with Granny Raffy, a nurse, and struggle to care for the baby manatee, now named Airuwe. But they face many dangers, including floods and a greedy local villager intent on buying Airuwe. Potentially unfamiliar words are defined in the footnotes, and the folk-art-inspired black-and-white drawings enhance the Amazonian setting and culture. Young readers will be inspired by this tale, which is based on a true story, and will identify with the characters’ fight for animal conservation. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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