ALA Booklist

Amid the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Coleman finds a happy ending. Dramatic narration, interspersed with dialogue taken from interviews, recounts how eight dolphins from the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, survived a 40-foot tidal wave that crushed their dolphin house and put them into the open waters of the Gulf Coast. The action continues as doctors and trainers form a plan to rescue the stranded dolphins. Illustrated with evocative watercolors reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints, the riveting story is followed by informational text about "man's best friend" in the water, from the evolution, characteristics, and mythology of dolphins to heroic accounts of their rescue of humans and other marine life, as well as threats to their existence. A concluding scrapbook with color photos shows remarkable before-and-after shots of the dolphins and their home. Other scenes depict the rescue as it occurred. Descriptive notes add commentary as well as interesting facts (e.g., dolphins get their water from food because, like humans, they can't drink salty ocean water). Heartwarming and informative.

Kirkus Reviews

A spark of hope in the wake of a devastating natural disaster. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina sent a 40-foot tidal wave crashing over the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss. Most of the animals were relocated before the storm, but eight dolphins were left in a large pool believed to be safe. Unfortunately, when the trainers returned, they found the pool destroyed and the dolphins gone. The waves had pulled the creatures out into the nearby Gulf of Mexico. The dolphins were not used to caring for themselves after living in captivity, so a search party was arranged. Miraculously, all eight dolphins were found--waiting together for their trainers. This survival tale is heartwarming but brief. Halfway through, under the heading "More About Man's Best Friend," the tone switches to discuss other astonishing dolphin feats throughout history. Nascimbene's full-page watercolors--of equally watery images--accompany both sections. The illustrations lack the realistic immediacy and emotional wallop of photographs but are age-appropriate for the text, which focuses solely on the dolphins. The surrounding human suffering from the storm is hinted at but never described. A scrapbook of photos and facts about the Oceanarium tale is appended. During a time of so much destruction, these eight dolphins became a symbol--they banded together and found their way home, just like the human residents of the Gulf Coast. (sources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This story of the rescue of eight dolphins off the coast of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina underscores the bonds between dolphins and their trainers, as well as those among dolphins themselves. After a 40-foot tidal wave destroys the dolphin pool at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, eight dolphins disappear, presumably washed into the Gulf of Mexico. Via helicopter and boat, the trainers set out to search for the dolphins, who were raised in captivity and thus unaccustomed to feeding or protecting themselves. Laced with dialogue that accentuates the trainers- affection for the dolphins and sense of urgency, Coleman-s (Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies) clipped narrative recounts the rescue of all eight, who had remained together, close to shore. Spare yet theatric, the late Nascimbene-s (Crouching Tiger) dappled watercolors have a lovely silk-screened quality, contrasting the destructive force of the hurricane and the tranquility that arrives in its wake. The recounting of events is quite brief; the book-s second half consists of illustrated notes on other real-life dolphin feats and a scrapbook-style section of captioned photos about the dolphins and their rescue. Ages 6-9. (Aug.)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5 This account of the loss and rescue of eight dolphins from a destroyed tank at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina will intrigue readers. The animals were brought up in captivity and were unable to feed themselves in the wild, so the frantic trainers secured a helicopter and boat in the chaotic aftermath of the storm and locate the missing animals. Then after more days of training and preparation, the dolphins were recaptured from the open water and taken to their new pool. Following the lead story are four brief examples of dolphins saving people or other animals from certain death. The lovely impressionistic watercolor and ink illustrations are crisp against generous white borders, effectively capturing the frenzied storm preparations and recapture. Rounding out the book is a photographic look at the actual oceanarium, the animals, their rescue, and the aftereffects of the hurricane. Animal lovers will empathize as they follow the trainers' worries and ultimate elation. A heartening, real-life rescue story. Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI