1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2002. Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-618-13103-5
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In Encantado, Pink Dolphin of the Amazon, Sy Montgomery takes the reader on a breathtaking journey through the Amazon in search of the elusive pink dolphin. This dolphin is one of only five kinds of dolphins whose bodies are modified to live in fresh water. In the search for the pink dolphin, the reader is exposed to thousands of species of animals and plants that are not found anywhere else in the world: the 4 inch long pygmy marmoset, the tiny frogs which live their entire lives in a bromeliad’s bowl, and the arauana a yard-long fish which leaps out of the water to catch it’s prey, just to name a few. The reader learns that even though the pink dolphins may be all around, they are difficult to see due to the inky blackness of the Amazon. This book not only describes the unique features of the pink dolphin, but also exposes the destruction of the Amazon rain forest caused by fires to clear land for large plantations and pollution caused by mining companies.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Encantado, Pink Dolphin of the Amazon is written in the 2nd person, which serves to engage the reader in the story by allowing them to imagine that they are there. Ex: “Bet you didn’t think that would be a problem when you left the United States.” The reader is also invited to imagine that their guide on the journey is the pink dolphin itself. As the reader is led through the Amazon, detailed photographs by Dianne Taylor-Snow add to the visual images created by the author’s words. Taylor-Snow has also included pictures of Chuckles, North America’s only captive pink river dolphin who lives in the Pittsburg zoo.
This book contains information gathered by the author on four separate trips to the Amazon. An interview with a dolphin researcher provides insight into the habits of the pink dolphin, while an interview with a professor of biology who specializes in paleontology gives scientific information linking many of the creatures from the Amazon with their dinosaur relatives. Local people are also interviewed, and their stories and folklore of the region add to the mystery of this area of the world which still contains many unanswered questions. Time-lines and maps supplement the textual and pictorial information in a user-friendly format which is easy for a young reader to understand. The end pages of the book contain information about how the book was researched, and numerous fascinating facts about the creatures and plants of the Amazon.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
*Winner of the 2000 IRA Children’s Book Award for Nonfiction
*An Orbis Pictus Honor Book
* Booklist Editor’s Choice for 1999
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “The author's sense of wonder at this spectacular environment and this unusual animal is infectious and makes for a nonfiction title that inspires as it informs.”
BOOKLIST review: Gr. 5-8. “Instead of a traditional animal study, children are treated to a captivating travelogue, complete with numerous color photos of the people and places that incorporate political, environmental, and zoological aspects of the region.”… “children with a taste for adventure will enjoy this enthusiastic field trip to the rainforest and chance meetings with everything from cute monkeys to stinging black ants.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Geography: give students maps of South America and have them trace the path of the Amazon.
Research: Have students research the different types of dolphins and whales recorded in existence and make comparisons. Using simple copies of a world map, students should record their findings by color-coding the maps to match the location of the different types of dolphins and whales.
*Related books:
Montgomery, Sy. Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest. ISBN: 0743200268
Graf, Mike. Land and Water: The Amazon River. ISBN: 0736824820
Simons, Seymour. Dolphins. ISBN: 0060283939
Butterfield, Moira. Amazon Rainforest. ISBN: 0824985664
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