Jim Arnosky turns to that gentle giant of the coastal seas in this tenth and final entry in his All About... series, intended to highlight different kinds of wildlife for the picture-book set. Part of the Sirenian order of sea mammals, manatees live in the warm coastal waters of the southeastern United States, the Caribbean islands, Central and South America, and West Africa. Only around 2000 of them (at the time of publication, in 2008) are still alive in the wild. The text here discusses their anatomy, their feeding habits and reproductive cycle, and the threat they face, not from any animal predator, but from human activities like boating and fishing...

I love manatees, so I was pleased to see that the final entry in this series was devoted to them! All About Manatees is actually the second title I have read from author/illustrator Arnosky, after his Slow Down for Manatees, that is about these wonderfully gentle "sea cows." I was interested to learn about the dugong, a very similar mammal to the manatee, that is also in the Sirenian order, and lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The text here is basic but informative, and the accompanying artwork appealing. My only criticism, and it is one I have made of every title in the series, is that no list of sources or further reading ideas is provided. Leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to young animal lovers, and to picture-book readers interested in manatees. It would make an excellent introduction to the topic, for younger children. ( )

This book is a great resource to have in a classroom that offers the answers to so many questions kids may have about manatees! A book like this can inspire a student to become a scientist, biologist or just a lover of animals and nature. Great source of information for research as well!

The book includes a table of contents. The book discribes what manatees are, where they live, why they live their, their habits, what they eat, and reproduction/calf life.

All about Manatees is exactly as it sounds! Jim Arnosky gives information about the Manatee in a fun and simple way. His illustrations of Manatees give a playful feel to the text, and his conversational tone lights the factual statements. After reading this book you feel you have learned all there is to know about Manatees from a good friend.

This book answers all the questions one could have about manatees. Like how big they are, how old they get, and any other interesting facts. There are pictures and words alike that help in understanding this book.