I'm a Manatee: I'm a Manatee

by John Lithgow

Overview

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

ISBN-13:	9780689854279
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/01/2003
Edition description:	Book and CD
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

John Lithgow is the New York Times bestselling author of I Got Two Dogs; Mahalia Mouse Goes to College; Marsupial Sue Presents: The Runaway Pancake; I’m A Manatee; Micawber; Marsupial Sue; The Remarkable Farkle McBride; and Carnival of the Animals. An award-winning actor, he has starred on stage, film, and television. He performs concerts across the country and has recorded the CDs Farkle and Friends, Singin’ in the Bathtub, and The Sunny Side of the Street. Visit John at JohnLithgow.com.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Author/actor John Lithgow takes a young boy on an imaginative dip into the deep blue in this splashy book-and-CD set that's bound to have kids flipping over our oceanic friends. Ard Hoyt's fluid colored pencil, ink, and pen drawings show a sailor suit–clad lad swimming around his room alongside an algae-backed manatee, as he dreams, "I'm a manatee, Undulating underneath the sea. Unshackled by the chains of idle vanity, A modest manatee, That's me." Lithgow's rolling rhymes take readers on an awesome romp as the boy describes how he looks, what he eats ("I sprinkle seaweed on my Raisin Bran-atee, The perfect manatee cuisine."), how he acts, and what he thinks about his underwater domain. His quiet, freedom-loving life is truly magical and awe inspiring, and Hoyt's art carries Lithgow's words even further, showing the boy-manatee afloat with various aquatic creatures (including a guinea pig fish), communing with a group of smiley-faced manatees, and even surprising a troublesome fisherman. Young readers will let their imaginations set sail, too, especially when they put on the included CD of Lithgow singing his jubilant ode to manatees. With a treasure chest of New York Times bestsellers like Micawber and Marsupial Sue, Lithgow takes kids into a fun-loving, marine playground and provides adults with a storytime winner, showing his creative talent to be as wondrous as ever. Matt Warner

bn.com

The well-known actor dons his other hat, that of comic poet genius for kids, in his most gleeful book yet. The title contains pretty much the whole plot, except that it's a little boy dreaming of being a manatee, "immune from human folly and inanity," rather than an actual manatee, who narrates. — Elizabeth Ward

The Washington Post

Adding to his oeuvre of rhyming song-book hybrids, Lithgow (The Remarkable Farkle McBride) heads under the sea to extol the joys of being a manatee. A boy dreams of taking on the form of this favorite sea animal-"No difference between my face and fann-atee,/ .../ The least appealing creature on the planet-ee." The youngster and his fellow manatees "nose along the cozy ocean floor" snacking on seaweed (it garnishes their "Raisin Bran-atee"), exploring new nooks and crannies and relishing their "world of silence and of sanity." Like Lithgow's previous works, this one takes a read-through or two to fully appreciate the rhythm and sometimes sophisticated tone; the CD recording brings it all home in fine fashion, however, and will soon have many adults and children singing along. Young readers will likely fancy the silliness of the wordplay here and will enjoy being challenged by the vocabulary, an aspect of the "stately" personality Lithgow gives his character ("No one near will ever hear me use profanity,/ Because a manatee/ Has his image to maintain"). Hoyt's (One-Dog Canoe) pencil-and-watercolor art possesses graceful, fluid lines befitting the underwater setting. The blubbery gray and wrinkly manatees convey a sweet and unexpected charm. The artist wittily extends the story, too, adding playful elements that enhance the dream-fantasy aspects of the tale and even making an anti-litter statement (the manatees give a careless boater a taste of his own medicine). Ages 5-8. (Sept.) FYI: A CD containing Lithgow's vocals as well as an instrumental of the song is packaged with the book. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 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.

School Library Journal

A boy dreams he's a manatee in Lithgow's buoyant offering. "From time to time I dream / that I'm a manatee," he says as water rises in his room. "Undulating underneath the sea / Unshackled by the chains of idle vanity, / A modest manatee, / That's me." When a massive manatee holds up a full-length mirror, the boy, now floating above his bed, sees the reflection of a manatee calf ("I look just like a chubby brown banana-tee"). Later, he "[sprinkles] seaweed on [his] Raisin Bran-atee." Sophisticated and silly at the same time, Lithgow's verse will keep kids on their toes. Meanwhile, Hoyt's colored pencils, pen, and ink spreads overflow with humorous aquatic activity. Words and music are included, as is a sing-along CD. Pure fun. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews