Marine Life Books

This book was amazing. I read it with my seven year old daughter. We both couldn't wait to read some more the next night. My daughter learned a ton about whales and the writing was fabulous. Wonderful, imaginative, creative book. I hope she writes some more.

I only recently discovered this book, and, I have to say I almost could not put it down! Not only is the fantasy part lovely in its imagery, but, the technical facts about the sea creatures are informative and amazing. Any author would be proud to call this tome her own, and, Ms. Velmans should be congratulated. I only hope that one day this is made into a movie of the Disney/Pixar type. It would be an instant classic, not like those forgettable straight-to-dvds they seem to be churning out the past ten years.

I think this book is excellent !!! This book made me stay up late to keep on reading it until my mom told me to turn out the light.I think it is the best whale book I've ever read. Isabel of the whales makes me think I'm actually with her learning to ping and ring and sing. I would definitely recommend this book. I think it would be very hard to have two families like Isabel.

This book is just wonderful. Packed with romance, adventure and tragedy, you won't want to put this book down. The story gets more exciting with every sentence you read. A surprise is packed inside every page. This is honestly one of the best books I've ever read. You should DEFINETLY get your copy today!

It's quite sad, interesting, and part non-fiction information. It makes me want to read it all over again. But Isabel will soon regret her first words about the ocean. She will surely miss the ocean and her whale family much.

These are my new favorite books! They get the message I've been trying to convey to my young children across, while not being preachy or too scary. The pictures help to retain a magical childhood innocence within the entire message, bringing back the simplicity of how I hope my children will view and treat our planet throughout their lifetime. At least one of these books will be in all future baby shower/young child's birthday presents that we give out.

I bought this for my 20 month old twins and they don't care for it at all. I don't either. It's just a little too touchy, feely, hippie, new agey for me. The illustrations are well done, but they honestly remind me of one of those 3D art prints that you have to stare at or squint your eyes to see the hidden unicorn or whatever. Many people also said that it helped teach their kids how to respect the earth...which I am all for, but this book really doesn't do that either. Maybe when my kids are older, I'll give it another shot. Still, the animal illustrations are very good, and I appreciate the sentiment, but overall...it doesn't cut it

Absolutely beautiful book with gorgeous pictures. The writing fits the book perfectly. Great Earth Day book!

This is an exceptional book that provokes thoughtful conversation between you and your child.

This book, along with Children of the Earth, are excellant books for children to learn about the relationship between people and all other elements of the earth. Beautiful pictures, easy to understand text and good lessons on taking care of our planet. 9 grandchildren have said they are their favorite 2 books.

The artwork in this fantastic tale of a boy 'saling' off to a magical island to frolic with lions and sea creatures make the book. My son (3) and I love it.

Far and away, this is the most beautiful illustrated book I have ever owned. I look forward to saving it always to read to my children. The verse that goes along with the pictures is very sweet, but I look at this book time and again simply for the beautiful pictures.

Eric Rohmann's imagination is a place I'd like to live in. His imagery is stunning in The Cinder-Eyed Cats. He has created a book that you will pick up again and again, if only to flip through the beautiful images. It will become a well-loved part of your library.

This book is a small boy's dreamlike journey to an island inhabited by the cats. He flies there in a boat and falls asleep. That's when the wonderous events begin.

You'll see flying fish, slinky cats, all revolving around and around in giddy circles. When the morning comes, the boy must return home and the cats get their rest.

Parents will have a good time reading this book to their younger children, while slightly older (5 - 8) will enjoy reading it to themselves.

Rohmann is also the creator of Time Flies, a Caldecott Honor Book, that is just as beautiful as this one.

Kimberly Pauley
YA Books Goddess @ Young Adult Books Central

...thoroughly enjoy the pictures and the story. The art work is fabulous. Great for any age.

Wow...beautiful illustrations and a beautiful imagination!
I bought the book because I love cats...I couldn't say no to this book. I had also purchased, "Time Flies" for my nephew at the same time. Simply amazing. The colors and images make you want to step into the page and be with the lions on the beach! Take me!!

I really enjoyed this Bible. I bought it for my brother, who is obsessed with the Marines. I love its compact size and leather bound cover. The details are really there, and it looks like someone really cared about the marine it was going to. I also love at the back there are prayers, songs, hymns, and devotions for a marine on the go, with an index to point to scripture references. Very good, it is like a devo and Bible on the go.

I couldn't believe that I got this Bible the day after I ordered it!! One suggestion to other Marine Recruit Moms, I had several people write encouraging notes to my son and then I put them in various places in the Bible. That way when he got the Bible he also got lots of reminders that there were people back home that loved him and are very proud of him.

my son was going in the marines right after graduation, so I got him this as a grduation gift. It has prayers from president Washington to Bush. I saw my son reading it a lot the week before he went in.

I purchased this bible for my son before he left for bootcamp the first of March. He also recieved one at his farewell party. He was so glad to have them and has one with him. I looked all over for the right size of bible to get him and found this on Amazon. This is the perfect gift for anyone to purchase a Marine.

My husband and I presented this Bible to our son as a gift prior to entering boot camp. The Marine Corps is very particular about what a recruit can bring with him/her when they enter boot camp. One of the very few things they are allowed to bring is a personal Bible, and then, only if it is small enough to fit in the recruit's pocket. We were very happy to know that this Bible met the requirements and he was allowed to bring it with him. On top of that, it was a very handsome book with the USMC seal embossed in gold on the front. We were very, very pleased with it.

this is about a giant squid who goes around the ocean showing us how he's bigger than everything, and you can tell he's really proud of this fact, in a fun way. then a whale comes behind him and eats him in all of his glory and he's shocked for a second. but then he looks around at all of the other animals in the whale and then proclaims happily that he's the biggest thing in the whale. it's an optimistic book about a squid who happy with who he is enough to see how he's great no matter the situation. it's short, but it's good to read out loud and has bright, colourful pictures.

This is a daily read for my 2 and 5 year-old boys. "Big in the Ocean", as my little guy calls it, is a wonderful book: a simple but compelling story, a great lesson, lots of little creatures to count, and good practice for beginning readers. Both boys adore the book, and the 5 year-old oftens reads it to his brother. Together they count shrimp, clams and fish, whisper when the shark appears, and giggle with glee at the end. They love it so much, I'm buying another copy for their school!

The clings look like fun, but would probably end up in the 2 YO's mouth, so I'll hold off using for a year.

My kids love this book, which features brightly colored illustrations and a simple narrative that many kindergarteners can read. When an octopus goes around proclaiming himself the biggest thing in the ocean, he sounds just like a preschool child. Of course, he gets eaten by a whale... but he's nonplussed; after all, he's definitely the biggest thing inside the whale.

I am 32 and I fell in love with this book. It's adorable and cute.

This is such a fun book. My 3 1/2 y.o. daughter loves it-- it's in her top 5 rotation.

I read The Living Great Lakes at least two or three years ago and subsequently gave my copy to a client relocating from New Jersey to Michigan. I just bought my second copy to re-read and add back to my permanent library. This book is an enormous pleasure trip from beginning to end. The author lives and breathes the Great Lakes. As someone who was born and bred along the lakeshore of West Michigan, I can tell he really "gets" the soul of the dunes and the lakes and how vital, how beautiful, and how important our Great Lakes are in our lives. A huge thumbs up!

As a displaced Michigander, I am often amazed that westerners are almost completely unfamiliar with the Great Lakes. This book would be best enjoyed by those familiar with the region. But even the less familiar will enjoy the gripping adventure found in the many anecdotes offered here. I am on my second read and can't believe how much I had forgotten from my first read. There are stories that will nearly bring you to tears (the near disaster on the day of the Edmund Fitz sinking) and some that will simply amaze. This should be required reading for all school children from this region. Those less fortunate who live elsewhere will still enjoy the enlightening read. And while it certainly encourages protection of the lakes, I didn't find it preachy. It is a very objective book and doesn't dwell too much on the environment.

If there is a better book on the great lakes I haven't found it.

I really enjoyed this book because it covers a wide range of topics from sailing to environmentalism to North American history to geology.

As a lifelong citizen of the Great Lakes in Rochester, NY and Chicago, IL, I was surprised at how much I didn't already know -- and that the book taught me.

Purchased the book because I'm considering a retirement along Lake Ontario and am an avid sailor. The book is centered around the relocation of a Ferro cement schooner from Michigan through the lakes to Lake Ontario, onward down the Hudson and around New England. Along the journey, are many mini stories added for each lake taken from a combination of personal adventures, history and many interesting collection of facts coveraging a wide range of subjects from geology, their early exploration, later exploitation and related environmental problems. My only mild dissapointment is there was not more on Lake Ontario. The trip ends in along the coast of Maine where I was raised. It's a delightful book.

An enthusiastic outdoorsman, Dennis has written a comprehensive book on the Great Lakes from the perspective of personal experience, scientific data and historical background. He describes the area in its early pristine beauty, from the Indian tribes to the first European settlers and the dawning of industrialization that almost destroyed this natural preserve of geology, flora, fauna and indigenous species. With attention to the tales of the past, Dennis writes of the gradual evolution of natural beauty into a vast resource for lumber, farm products, shipping and related industries, including the influx of a population that has grown around opportunity, all imbued with the awesome grandeur of these vast bodies of water.

On a four-week voyage through the Great Lakes, Dennis views the area from the water, as opposed to his many travels along the shorelines, the exhausting, but fulfilling days on board filled with the lore of the sea, new friendships make while sailing and the eccentric individuals met along the way. Couched in contemporary terms, the author speaks of the past with reverence, his love of history enhanced by regional details, tales of shipwrecks and the personal observations of a man with great reverence for the bounty of this immense body of water and those who live on the miles of coastline that make up the Great Lakes. History is tangible in Dennis's work, impossible to ignore as the men navigate from one lake to another, reminded daily of the pitfalls of ignoring nature and the pleasures of communing with the elements.

The comprehensive chapters cover: Lake Michigan, from land and water; the Straights of Mackinac; Lake Superior, canoeing, the early voyagers, surviving storms; Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and the wilderness; St. Claire River; Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Each chapter addresses relevant information but is complemented by stories, for example, the "White City" constructed in Jackson Park for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the disappearance of an entire fishing village on the shores of lake Michigan, victim of "walking dunes", Sault Ste. Marie and the rapids of the St. Mary's and The Soo Locks. His eye on an ever-changing environment, Dennis paints a fascinating portrait of nature's bounty in the Great Lakes, past and present, ever vigilant for the dangers of pollution, overuse and the avarice of industrialization: "Bracketed by mysteries, adrift, alone, despairing of our ignorance, we turn to the physical because there, at least, we can know a thing for certain." This is out legacy and the key to the future of a national treasure. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

A MUST read for everyone. Anyone that would like to see what life was like for the people who built this country will enjoy this book. It does not matter which side of the fence you are on you will enjoy it and if you are like alot of people today and don't do much but sit on the fence you will enjoy it too. A book about people this country should be taking better care of now ie better healthcare and prescription drugs for our older Americans

I'm sure you get many letters and compliments on your book, but my husband has never commented on a book as much as he has after reading yours. He thoroughly enjoyed the copy loaned to him by his cousin, and I thought a copy of his own would be a nice Christmas present! I'm so glad that you wrote this book about your very interesting and adventurous life. So many stories are forgotten or lost to us, your book helps to preserve these tales for future generations to enjoy.

I would have given this book a good review. The stories were interesting and raw...just like I like them. That is until I got to the part where "Lusty Lloyd" writes a story about someone I love. It was unkind, ignorant, and just plain false. Had the names of these people been used, he could have been very easily sued for slander. I grew up in Ash Valley...I know these people. The title states that these are "His True Life Stories." 207 true stories? I think not. In fact, a great deal of these stories are embellishments. I bought this book as a Christmas present, but could not give it to anyone because it would have hurt them. Had it been true, I'd let it go. But I know it's not. I was very disappointed. But if you don't care about that, then you'll probably love this book.

Lloyd Keeland is an American Icon. He has been there done that. As a former Marine in WWII I can attest to his heroics in surviving Iwo Jima. He was one of the few that survived the entire campaign somewhat intact. His yarns about the logging industry brought back some great memories for me. Again, he knows his stuff. Some of the episodes at Loon Lake were indeed hilarious, they were also very believable. Some of those goofy happenings I have been through so I can vouch for their authenticity. Anyone who knows the Northwest or has an interest in our history should enjoy Lusty Lloyd, he is a classic.

LLoyd and Ellen, you have outdone yourself. The stories are funny , to the point, and written in down to earth fashion such as Mark Twain. The book may not be politically correct, but you will read it with a smile on your face and and a chuckle in your heart. It brings back many familiar adventures when I was a kid growing up in the back woods of Oregon. The Pen and Ink renderings of Ellen Keeland to illustrate the stories is impecable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

I bought this book for a gift for my husband (and my family) because he is always telling us of all the creatures he sees when he is diving for lobsters when we go to Florida in December. Now we can enjoy the pictures and see what he is talking about. This is the same book that sells for more money at the dive shops. The pictures are wonderful. Glad we were able to find it here!!

This is probably the best reef creature ID book out there for Florida, the Carribean and the Bahamas, but buy the third edition instead. Semi-hard cover.

I bought this item for my trip to the Caribbean. I'm a marine biologist by training, and I loved this book because it gave information above and beyond just identification. It also tells you how likely it was that the critter you saw was the one pictured in the book. Then there are lists of all the species in the back, with space for you to record when and where you saw it. I had so much fun combing this book after snorkeling to identify all the organisms I had seen! What a great investment! I also like this book because it arranges species by their scientific classification. It could have been a bit more thorough, though--i saw plenty of organisms that aren't mentioned in this book at all.

i think its a really good book because it tells you almost every thing you can see in the ocean. I really like it.

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in marine invertebrates from Florida, Caribbean and the Bahamas. It is a especially useful reference for divers because of the great underwater photography depicting the animals as one would while diving. This guide also has information on the taxonomy, popular and scientific names, size and depth, as well as visual id tips, abundance and distribution, habitat and behavior, reaction to divers, and additional information of interest. In some cases, there is information on effect on divers if the species is known to cause a negative effect or potentially dangerous. More than 50 researchers contributed to make the book as accurate as possible. I am a marine biologist, I am very happy with my purchase and highly recommend it.

You don't need to fully understand the military to understand and feel the power of this book. Lt. Cash, a chaplain serving with the Marines in Iraq, writes in an easy to read style. His words aren't always easy to read, but they are full of the power of God and the enormity of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I never realized the military was such a spiritual place--yet another reason to continually support our military! I was overwhelmed reading Cash's retelling of the First Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment's initial push into Baghdad and all the miracles that surrounded the horror of that night. It was like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time: How could you not believe in God? After reading this book and the Marine's who experienced God's continual protection, He too is "always faithful," just like a Marine.

A Table in the Presence is a very good book. It is about how God still has a presence even in the chaos of the war in Iraq. The Marine who is telling the story is LT. Carey H. Cash, a Chaplain in the United States Marine Corps. He gives accounts of the trials and hardships that Marines encounter physically and spiritually. One of the main points in the book is how God seeks out the souls of the Marines even in the darkest and loneliest places of the world. Almost every one of the Marines in LT. Cashes unit experienced the protection and love that God offers for those who seek Him. Some stories are so amazing that you will just have to read them for yourself. A Table in the Presence is a very good read and will truly show you the power and deity of God. Buy this book!

A Table in the Presence: The Dramatic Account of How a U.S. Marine Battalion Experienced God's Presence in Iraq

I was so blessed to have had red this book. We do not see God work in such dramatic ways in the US. I believe are so blessed we think we do not need God and rely on ourselves. My faith was increased and I have purchased 4 other copies to give to family and friends.

Carol Savorn

Very good book with a look at what it is like in Iraq. If your loved one is being deployed this is a good book to read. It is a view through a chaplin's eyes.

An inspiring journey through war and back with one of the U.S. Navy's Chaplains assigned to the Fleet Marine Force (1/5, 1st MARDIV). Cash takes us from his initial call to ordained ministry, through seminary to his reporting for duty aboard 1/5. Especially fascinating is Cash's discovery of the sacraments (he is Southern Baptist) as essential to the Christian's life. The tales of heart ache and of thankfulness for God's abundent grace make this a great read. It certianly made me more aware of the the wonderful work of US Navy chaplains, particulary those with the FMF.

If you are interested in the environment and whales and support the fact that what the Japanese are doing by slaughtering whales is WRONG then you MUST read this book, I thought it was great !!!

It is only toward the end of _The Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet's Largest Mammals_ (Free Press) that author Peter Heller describes the atrocities being committed against whales by the Japanese whaling fleets. He doesn't see them himself, but describes a video that was shot aboard one of the whalers showing the effects of explosive harpoons and the drawn out electrocution of a pregnant whale. "There is no more barbaric method of slaughter on earth, in any meat industry," Heller writes. "This prolonged butchery and torture are reserved for the most intelligent, most social order of beings." You don't have to be an ecology freak or tree hugger to be disgusted by the slaughter, carried out by Japanese whalers in the guise of doing scientific research (and then, oh, by the way, selling the "autopsied" whales for meat). It doesn't matter that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society does seem to consist mostly ecology freaks, vegans, and starry-eyed whale enthusiasts. They are doing what they can to stop the whale hunts, and this book is Heller's riveting account of Sea Shepherd's voyage at the end of 2005 to confront the whale hunters on their own grounds.

Sea Shepherd has its own ship, the _Farley Mowatt_, an ancient 200-ton former freighter, painted black and flying the Jolly Roger. By at least some definitions, the crew are pirates, and their work is certainly not subtle, including ramming, using propeller foulers to entangle the props and immobilize the ship, and stink bombs. They get away with it because no one wants to take them to court where they can publicize the evils of whaling. The captain of the _Farley_ and its 43 volunteer crewmembers is the bearish Paul Watson, an original founder of Greenpeace from which he is now estranged. As Heller pictures him, he is an anti-Ahab, monomaniacally pursuing those who are pursuing whales, brilliant in leadership and expression, but also quite possibly crazy. "I did not think he was exactly insane," Heller writes. His fast-moving account of the 51 days of pursuit includes portraits of remarkable crew members, many of whom are completely inexperienced as sailors. It isn't all grim on board; there is a great deal of silliness, poker games, much drinking, bad music, snowboarding on icebergs, and even a New Year's Day dip in the icy water. The descriptions of the _Farley_ at sea, encrusted with ice and taking dangerous rolls are indeed scary. The eventual chase and the climatic confrontation with the whalers is full of adrenaline, while the ship's muted success fits fully the ambiguities described herein.

Paul Watson's tactics may be controversial, but readers will be cheering for him by the end of this book. The reason is that Sea Shepherd might be pirates, but they still have the moral high ground against whalers. On this very voyage, they were pursuing Japanese whalers who were bent on killing whales which everyone knows are endangered, and taking them out of waters within an internationally established whale sanctuary. You don't have to agree with Watson's methods, but everyone must agree that current international conservation laws are not being enforced, and that the world is turning a blind eye to violations because of reluctance to upset trading partners. Heller's brilliant account of a harrowing voyage might report the quixotic follies of the ship _Farley Mowatt_, but it is an angry and bitter education into the destructive follies of whaling.

There has never been a book that has spoken to me like this one. It takes you through so many emotions - pain, frustration, anticipation, laughter, hope. Even if you cannot completely agree with Captain Paul Watson's actions, you can appreciate his passion. You turn the pages eagerly, waiting for a climax and even when it comes it leaves you wanting more. And that is the point - this is a story that will never end as long as there is the unnecessary murder of the oceans most peaceful mammals and a man like Captain Paul Watson ready to protect them.

As author Peter Heller says on his web site, no writer of fiction could hope to invent the wild truth on display in this tale of adventure on the high seas. Heller joined Captain Paul Watson and his 44 crew members aboard the Farley Mowat to find and stop the Japanese whaling fleet in 2005.

Heller's balance of objectivity and subjectivity provides for a very engaging and exciting read. This book is perfect for reading aloud, which is how we have been approaching it. Heller's prose style creates a you-are-there feeling. Mingled with regular visits to the Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace web sites for real-time blog updates, the reader can really feel like they are on the journey. This is an ongoing battle between those who see whales as intelligent, sensitive, and aware; and those who see them only as a "resource" to be harvested to the fullest extent. It is being played out right now in the southern ocean, so this book has an immediacy and relevance beyond the story it tells of 2005.

It would be enough if this were a great adventure well told, but The Whale Warriors is more than that. It is a decent introduction to the current state of the ocean. The information is woven so neatly into the story that the blend of plot, commentary and factual information is nearly seamless.

Kudos to Peter Heller for taking on a controversial and emotional subject, and telling the story in a form accessible to everyone.

The Whale Warriors is an exciting page turner about the 2006 whaling campaign in Antartica. It is chock full of harrowing information about the state of our seas (scientists predict the entire ocean will collapse by 2048!) to amazing insight into marine mammals (dolphins will refer to themselves and the dolphin they are communicating with by name AND also refer to a third dolphin by name during a dolphin-conversation).

The book delves into the interesting and diverse cast of characters aboard the Farley Morat. Who would give up everything (family, a livelihood) to risk their lives at the edges of the earth for a whale? You'd be surprised.

This book is both exhilarating and heart-breaking. An adventure worth taking that will change, forever, the way you look at the ocean.