Felina's New Home: A Florida Panther Story Book

(Mommy's review from 3/25/11)


Julia says this gets five stars - I would say four but we all know she's the boss.
This is a lovely story of some "uncommon" (as in not pets) animals and how these animals lives are affected by humans. How they live in relative peace without interference from humans and how that peace is shattered by even the slightest human interaction, even with that interaction is done with the best of intentions.
The ending of the story really hits home with animal lovers. Felina is tranqualized and wakes up in a cage among other animals. She questions and finds out that she's being helped. When she wakes again she finds herself in a much better place, a place where animals are meant to live, having been helped by an animal rescue.
My daughter knows more about animal rescue than the average kid I think but even she is limited to dogs and cats so this was an important reminder for both of us.
This will hit home with some kids more than others. Kids in Florida for instance might know more about the scarred manatee than say, a kid in Montana. A kid who watches The Animal Channel and animal documentary's often will see more they know about then a kid who doesn't.
Felina's story is powerful in itself but in case that's not enough for any readers, in the back of the book is the usual (for this type of story) fun facts, etc. The life cycle of the Florida Panther is included. A website is given - www.SylvanDellPublishing.com - which, after clicking on the books cover, will offer up fun quizzes, teaching activities, etc. A semi-detailed area included threatened, endangered, and extinct animals and the definitions. A very well detailed area includes animal info for the Florida Panther, Gopher tortoise, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Manatee, Wood stork and the American crocodile. All in all Felina's New Home is an informative book for children and parents alike.