Age range 4+
Little Dolphin celebrates the level of intelligence and compassion that scientists are only now realising Dolphins possess, and explores the life of a young dolphin as it approached adulthood. We follow little dolphin from her difficult birth of her escape through the shark net that traps her mother. She is adopted by a pod that teach her the clicks and whistles of the dolphin language. They also teach her how to use tools (sea sponges) as few other creatures, apart from humans, can do. But when the time comes for her leave the bay, the little dolphin finds she muse use all her skills to help another dolphin that is drowning.
Little Dolphin explores the new-found knowledge we have of these ancient sea mammals. Scientists believe that the system of clicks and whistles dolphin use is a language almost as extensive as our own. 'Inshore' Bottlenose Dolphins face a bleak future from tuna nets (tuna is a major source of food for them), boat propellers and pollution; the latter causing health problems and possibly birth defects, effecting their size.
Buy Little Dolphin by Mark Wilson from Australia's Online Independent Bookstore, BooksDirect.