About the Books
There is an interesting twist to my books: the main characters are dolphins and a horse. My experience as a teacher gave me the insight that children already love those two animals individually; just think of how enthralled they will be to read a story about both!
The first book is called Filly Finds Her Way. Filly is born in Tampa Bay and then begins exploring with her Mama, and her Titi (aunt) Lee. They come across a horse on the bank of the Alafia River and a lasting friendship is formed (you will find out how Filly gets her name, too). The horse’s name is J.P., and the book ends with Filly and Tipper (another baby dolphin she meets) wanting to know what J.P. means. "That, my little dolphin friends, is a story for another day."
Filly and the Alafia River Holiday is the second book. At the end of this book, Filly figures out what J.P. means. The book includes the Alafia River Boat Parade, which is a beautiful annual event on the river. It also includes the story of how J.P. came to be on the river.
The third book is Filly and the Storms. In this book, Filly becomes a hero. It is quite captivating how this comes about. The story was inspired by the 4 storms that Tampa Bay, and my own family, experienced in 2004. In this book, we find out why Tipper was not with his family in the first story.
The fourth book in this series is Filly and the Gasparilla Parade. Filly becomes a hero again, and a manatee is rescued. This story was inspired by the Gasparilla Parade, which is another fascinating annual event in Tampa Bay.
Each of the books introduce a rescue animal. This helps build compassion and a sense of pride in Filly, who helps in the rescues when she’s old enough. At the end of each story is a Comprehension Check. The purpose of this is to help students use a text of high interest to develop skills they need to succeed. In addition, each book includes Filly's Fact Files. These are non-fiction facts about the animals, and history from the Alafia River and Tampa Bay. An added layer of interest is a Fish Finding page that allows children to go back through the book and find the fish pictured on each page. There are many elements that will appeal to children and parents! Happy reading!
Copyrighted by Tina Schipfer