I'm a Manatee - John Lithgow, Ard Hoyt
3.5 stars -

Normally I avoid celebrity authored books - probably out of some odd combination of snobbery and jealousy. But all that goes out the window if the celebrity happens to be John Lithgow! I ADORE John Lithgow - from Footloose to Third Rock From the Sun.

First, the CD is essential for full enjoyment. The rhyming text is pretty clunky if you try to just *read* it. It is *meant* to be sung. So the CD helps the non-musical among us get the beat of the song. There is accompanying sheet music in the back for those who are more musically inclined. The only negative is that it's not likely you'll sound nearly as good as Lithgow does on the CD. Gosh, I just love the sound of his voice!

Second, the accompanying illustrations are really nice - very well executed. They remind me a bit of Steven Kellogg's work. There is a bit of a disconnect between illustrations and text, but it's really not a big problem as they're full of whimsy and details that will keep children very interested through a reading/singing.

The bottom line is that a lot of the words and humor will be over smaller children's heads, but that doesn't mean they won't enjoy the song and illustrations anyway.