Dream It, Believe It, Manatee Patty™
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Manatee Patty awakens with her dreamcatcher clutched in her hand. For as long as she can remember, she has been fascinated with marine life, especially manatees, Florida’s sea cows. If you live in Manatee County on the Manatee River near the Parker Manatee Aquarium, and your last name is Mann, the nickname Manatee Patty fits perfectly.
Our eight-year-old environmentalist gazes around her room. Poster slogans such as Save the Manatees and Slow-Manatees Below are etched in her mind, in her heart, and on her walls. Although she is small, and they are enormous, their gentle nature, endearing eyes, stubby snout, and cuddly appearance connect her to them immediately. She cherishes the day when her dad told her they were her manatees and the world’s. She understands she must make others aware of the need to preserve and protect her manatees as well as other threatened or endangered species. She is reminded of her commitment as she admires the dozens of stuffed animals, manatee figurines, pictures of manatees, manatee jewelry, and two large shelves brimming with books about manatees and other animals of the world. But by far, Manatee Patty’s dreamcatcher is the most bedazzling feature in her room.
Suddenly, Manatee Patty reaches for her glasses on the bedside table, hops out of bed, and is taken aback by her reflection in the mirror. She begins brushing her long, wildly streaming hair and approves the transformation. Her blue-green eyes practically masked with brown lashes elicit a smile. However, she frowns as she spots the freckles dotting her nose and wonders if they will fade with age. She looks away when there’s a knock on her bedroom door. Her mom walks inside.
“A penny for your dreams, my Manatee Patty.”
“Hi, Mom. Last night I had the coolest dream. I dreamed I was with Aunt Braylee in Africa. We were gliding in a hot air balloon with our guide. Click, click, click. We took photographs of wildebeests and zebras, making their bi-annual migration between Tanzania and Kenya. Wow! One magical moment captured in time. All animals should be this free. I’ll do my part to make sure they’re protected. That’s a promise. Someday I’ll work beside Aunt Braylee sharing beautiful photographs of animals from all over the world in their natural habitats.”
“You’re quite the catcher of beautiful dreams. I can see it now. The captions below your photographs will read, Pictures by photojournalists Braylee Patricia Mann of World Wildlife for Kids and Patricia Sue Mann, better known in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, as Manatee Patty, world-renowned wildlife photographer, and environmentalist.”
“Oh, Mom. Seriously. I can’t wait until she comes for a visit. She has such incredible stories to tell. What a life of fun, excitement, and adventure. Can you imagine taking photographs of so many animals in so many places in the world? Bradenton is wonderful, but Africa, wow! There’s no telling where she’ll go next.”
“Your dad and I can’t wait to see her either. We always love her stories and seeing her latest photographs, but she’ll also have a chance to rest and unwind. Traveling to other countries is exciting, but there’s no place like home, no matter how exciting your job might be.”
“But Bradenton isn’t her real home. Montana is.”
“You can feel at home anywhere if you’re with family.”
“You mean family and close friends. Mr. Kyle doesn’t have any family close by. You and Dad have always said that he seems like a member of our family.”
“He is like a family member. He’s lived in the same house next door for ten years. He was so kind to us when your dad and I first moved into our house. Speaking of Mr. Kyle, I just baked some blueberry muffins for him. Will you take them over while they’re still warm?”
“Sure. I’d love to. Mr. Kyle has always enjoyed Maggie Mann’s Marvelous Muffins.”
“Don’t forget. You and Dad are going to the beach in a couple of hours.”
“OK, Mom. I’ll be ready to go to Mr. Kyle’s in about fifteen minutes.”
But first, Manatee Patty plops down on her bed, closes her eyes, grabs her dreamcatcher, and begins to visualize photographs of manatees and animals from Africa as they migrate from Tanzania to Kenya.
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About the Book
“Save the Manatee Club is honored to be featured in Dream It, Believe It, Manatee Patty. This endearing tale of Manatee Patty, a young lady improving the lives of manatees and other wildlife, is not just a story but an inspiration to take positive action. To echo what our chairman, Jimmy Buffet, has said: ‘We’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s still so much more to be done.’” – Patrick Rose, CPM Aquatic Biologist and Executive Director Save the Manatee Club savethemanateeclub.org Eight-year-old Manatee Patty is fascinated with marine life, especially manatees, Florida’s sea cows. Her dream is to live in a world where everyone takes responsibility to protect wildlife and conserve our beautiful planet. On Manatee Patty’s birthday, her next-door neighbor gives her a dreamcatcher with magical powers. Each time she holds her dreamcatcher and closes her eyes, beautiful photographs of manatees and other species from throughout the world are magically revealed. Now she must wait to see if her gift will breathe life into her dream of protecting her planet and all its creatures. Manatee Patty’s life changes suddenly when she is told that her father’s new job will include an unexpected move from tropical Florida to Wyoming in the dead of winter. Will this upcoming move be helpful or a setback in following her dreams? Will her friends in Florida stay in touch after she moves? Will her dream of becoming a biologist like her dad or an assistant to her aunt, an international photojournalist, be realized? In this delightful children’s book, a little girl on a determined journey discovers the first step to make her dreams come true is to believe.
About the Author
Jenny Rose was an educator for more than three decades teaching students ranging from kindergarten to the university level. Her love of children, reading, environmental science, and her Native American ancestors is revealed in the book, Dream It, Believe It, Manatee Patty™.
Jenny’s commitment to wildlife protection and conservation of our environment is much like Manatee Patty’s. Mr. Timberlake’s classroom and the Manatee Elementary Science Club are based on lessons she taught as an elementary teacher and an environmental science club sponsor. As a grant writer, she was invited to evaluate materials for the North American Association for Environmental Education. During her tenure, awards were presented to Will Rogers Elementary in Edmond, OK, from the local, state, and national levels.
Chitto Kyle, the Native American storyteller in the book, mirrors the great storytellers in her life as a child, her maternal grandfather, and paternal grandmother. Also, one of her Muscogee (Creek) ancestors was orphaned on the Trail of Tears, a tragic story passed down for generations in her mother’s family.
In addition to writing, Jenny enjoys spending time with her family and traveling throughout the United States and Europe with her husband. Her faith, family, and friends are invaluable.