The page-turning action of this true story begins the morning before Hurricane Katrina hits, and tells of the heroic efforts of the team at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss., to save the eight dolphins of the title.
Together, the trainers find temporary refuge for six of the dolphins--three in a pool at one hotel, and three in another hotel pool. Eight would have to remain in the Oceanarium. The cover photograph plays up the reality of the dolphins' situation, but Yan Nascimbene's interior watercolors capture the extent of the damage in a way that won't terrify young children. His image of Katrina's arrival--a forceful white splash crashing through a black backdrop and sending toys, books and furniture flying--allows the audience to see the destruction without the terrifying effect that a photograph of the 40-foot tidal wave's impact might have. When the trainers return to the Oceanarium the next day, the dolphins are gone. How do they make a case to search for their missing dolphins when so many people need saving? Unaccustomed to getting their own food, the dolphins could survive a week at most in the sea, the trainers estimate. Twelve days later, they get a boat and helicopter for their mission. How they find, corral and return the dolphins to safety makes for a harrowing tale.
The last half of the book offers more about dolphins in general and feels a bit anticlimactic. But children will savor the scrapbook section, with photos of the dolphins and their trainers. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness