Review: The Dolphins of Shark Bay

I thought this would be a super easy quick review to do.  Take pictures, read a bit of the text from The Dolphins of Shark Bay, and say whether or not it would be worth getting or reading.  I didn't anticipate that I would find myself so fascinated that I would simply put down my camera and read.  I didn't anticipate that I would talk with my lad about what I was learning as I read.  I didn't anticipate him coming over and looking over my shoulder as I read.   "What's that dolphin doing mom?" and then marvelling at how unique these dolphins seemed to us.   I love it when books surprise me, don't you?

What do you get?
Pictures OH MY this book is loaded with pictures, and they draw you in.  Pictures of baby dolphins with their moms, pictures of dolphins swimming in groups, pictures of researchers watching the dolphins, dolphins that are hunting, sponging, and/or swimming.

Chapters are as follows, 76 pages broken down into 8 chapters.
1. Mystery Dolphin
2. Monkey Mia
3. Mothers of invention
4. Young and restless
5. Dating Games
6. Advanced Dolphinomics
7. Sticky Questions

I found the images inspired me to read more, and then to beyond the reading to videos. :)
I never knew that dolphins hunted differently around the world. Yeah, I knew about the dolphins that swam in circles stirring up the water dirt so the fish rose to the surface, making it easier to catch them. But I didn't know a dolphin would drive a big fish toward the shore for the same reason, or that they would carry a sponge to protect their rostrum as they hunted for food on the ocean floor. 

 Reading about this inspired me to look it up on youtube. Skimming the water, the speed at which they can turn, it surprised me.

What else can I tell you?
The author brings you right into the life of the scientists, sharing their joys and sorrows.  Their sense of wonder and confusion.  Why do some offspring (usually just the girls) pick up their mothers hunting methods (like sponging) and others don't?   The text is quite readable.

 I love how the book leaves you with the questions that the researchers ask themselves 
1. How do the males choose their herd mates
2. Is it okay for dolphins to be used as swimming buddies or kept in aquariums where they are safe from attack?
3. What causes some dolphins to pick up sponging?
4. Why do some dolphins from the bay stick with their own families, and why do others mingle with the visiting dolphins?

My thoughts:
I am so glad I got this book as a review.  It was so fun learning about the Dolphins of Shark Bay.  Seeing the tools the dolphins use, learning some of their unique struggles, and oh.. the images bringing it all to life.  This is an excellent book to learn about dolphins, not just the dolphins of shark bay, though these dolphins have some unique skills.  Well written, good material, with no prejudices to say what is right or wrong.

The Dolphins of Shark Bay
Author: Pamela S. Turner
Photographer: Scott Tuason
Ages: 10-12 years (or older)
Approximately 11 by 8 inches
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Series: Scientists in the Field Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Where can you find it?

Amazon.ca: The Dolphins of Shark Bay

Amazon.com:  The Dolphins of Shark Bay (Scientists in the Field Series)

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

It was my turn to cook, and as I had found a roast on sale, I decided to make a recipe I had made in a long time (taking my lad's not doing cooked mushroom thing into account).  I loosely based it off this recipe off All-recipes.com.  

Ingredients and Directions: 

Put about a pound of cooked beef cut into strips or small pieces into a fry pan.  Add one largish onion, diced.  along with a wee bit of beef juices (from your leftover roast) to cook the onion in a bit.  

Add some spices... I did a red pepper mix with some black pepper and garlic.   Let that cook for a wee bit then add a can of cream of mushroom soup.   Let simmer on low for a while.  

You need to cook the egg noodles, about 8 oz.

When egg noodles are almost done, toss some peas into the water with them.  AND put 1 1/4 cup of greek yogurt (if you like a bit of tang) or the same amount of sour cream into your fry pan.  Let simmer til heated through (turn up heat a bit if necessary but not much and if you do stir it while it heats).   Drain noodles/peas.   Add to the fry pan and heat through.

Serve immediately.

Reactions:
Dad: Tastes good hun
Son: I like the noodles and sauce mom, not sure about the meat.  YEAH!!!  No mushrooms!
Me: Thought it tasted well, and I'd been in the mood for stroganoff for a while so it met that need.

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time .

W is for ... Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
Chubby, little cubby all stuffed with fluff.
He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
Willy, nilly, silly old bear.

Thank you so much for joining Amanda and I today for week W of blogging through the alphabet, we are so delighted to have you here!  :)   Can you believe that we're this far into the alphabet already?

Anyways, getting on with things here...

 Did you know that Winnie the pooh was named after a bear called Winnie?

A Canadian soldier bough her in Ontario.  An orphaned bear cub living in a trappers cabin.   He spent $20 on her and brought her along with him to England. She became the mascot of his unit, to the point of sleeping under his bed.

When he was deployed to the front lines he worried that Winnie (named after the city of Winnipeg) would not do well so he gave her to the London Zoo.  

At the zoo a young boy named Christopher loved Winnie so much he named his stuffed bear after her.  His love for Winnie (and his stuffed bear) caused his dad to start writing stories about Christopher and his bear Winnie.   (to learn more go here)

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time .