Juaquinito A Manatee Hero

Juaquinito, A Manatee Hero is a thought-provoking and adventurous children's story. In a quest for food, a family of manatees find themselves traveling a long way from home. A series of life-changing events happen along this journey, turning an ordinary manatee into a hero. The importance of survival, family, love of community and concern for others are wrapped into one compelling story.

Manatees can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are about 13 feet long when fully grown. Scientists used to believe manatees were related to walruses, but actually they are a close relative of the elephant. Manatees are plant eaters and eat about one tenth of their body weight per day; for a fully grown manatee, that's about 200 heads of lettuce. Manatees are warm blooded, like most all mammals. They seek cool water in the summer and warmth in the winter.