Astro is a stellar Steller sea lion! Only a few days old when found orphaned, he is cared for and raised at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. When big enough to be released to the wild where he needs to be, he has other plans! Just like a lost dog finding his way home, Astro keeps swimming back towards the Center, crossing miles of open ocean water to do so. After several attempts, people realize that Astro is too accustomed to humans and will just keep coming back. Based on real events, readers follow Astro through some of his travels that have now taken him across the U.S. to his current home at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey Illustrated by Shennen Bersani
32 pg, 10 x 8.5, Ages 4-9, Grades PK-4 Lexile: AD 790, AR: 4.5, RC: 4.2, F&P: L
Hardcover ISBN: 9781607180760, $16.95 Paperback ISBN: 9781607180876, $8.95
"Bersani’s nearly photographic illustrations keep perfect time with the simple text, showing the pup returning to the center each time he is released. Adults will cheer at the “For Creative Minds” section, replete with activities, maps, further data, and advice on linking with a website for more curriculum-oriented exploration." -School Library Journal
"This is a great book for children of all ages. It can be used to teach about marine mammals and the care that is provided when they are unable to return to their natural environment. Along with the engaging story of Astro, the illustrations are amazing and incredibly realistic." -The Examiner
"The illustrations in this book are so very realistic that I had to study them quite closely before I was sure they really were drawings and not photographs. I know that seems dim-witted, but they really are that good. This is a wonderful story of how humans go the distance to help animals and ensure they are (or in this case, are not) able to survive on their own after human intervention. " -Jennifer Kuhlman
Author/Illustrator Info:
Jeanne Walker Harvey has been a long timemember of SCBWI with publications in Writer's Digest, Cricket Magazine, Nation’s Business, SCBWI's ACORN, Creativity Connection, Parent's Expecting and Teachers of Vision, including articles pertaining to nature and marine animals. Currently, she teaches Language Arts and a Writing Workshop at her local public middle school. In addition to Astro: The Steller Sea Lion for Sylvan Dell, Jeanne has also written My Hands Sing the Blues, a story about Romare Bearden. Growing up in Orange County, California, she was always fascinated by the ocean and marine mammals. She lives in Marin County, California, with her husband and two teenage sons and a black lab who sits at her feet when she writes. School Visit Information/ Website
Award-winning children’s book illustrator Shennen Bersani has two million copies of her illustrated books cherished and read by families throughout the world. She has been a freelance illustrator since 1989. She works primarily with colored pencils, sometimes using a mixed-media technique of colored pencils, crayon, and paint. Her art delivers a unique blend of realism, heartfelt emotion, love of nature, and life lessons for children of all ages. In addition to Home in the Cave, The Glaciers are Melting!, and Astro:The Steller Sea Lionfor Sylvan Dell, Shennen has illustrated a number of best-selling books, including, Snakes: Long, Longer, Longest; Sharks: Big, Bigger, Biggest; Ocean Counting: Odd Numbers; Icky Bug Shapes; and My Sister, Alicia May. Her art also appears in many magazines, newspapers, and publications. Shennen lives with her family near Boston. For more information, visit her website athttp://www.shennenbersani.com/.
