I have not enjoyed a book about a manatee this much since I read John Lithgow's "I"m a Manatee" years ago.

Now, add in a Manatee queen on the moon and I am so there.

This imaginative and beautifully illustrated children's book tells us how to be as inventive as we are imaginative. To literally reach for the stars and tell your story.

It also contains a glossary of astronomy terms kids may not be as familiar with and offers great discussions for young readers.

Sweet story and incredibly detailed drawings. Great for any manatee and/or space loving kid, no matter their age.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adorable story! My 7 and 4 yr old boys loved it! The pictures were incredible and the rhymes were catchy. We hope there are more to come!

A little silly, sure, but I liked the overall message of never giving up on your dreams and not listening to your discouraging loon-y friends. If you can dream it, you can do it!

The tiny human and I had so much fun reading this together. The pages were so colorful and fun. The storyline was just the sweetest and really gives kids that spirit of “we can do it!”

This was such an adorable book. My kids loved the illustrations and the story was entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you for letting us read this book.

This was a super cute book, I loved the artwork and the story. The beautiful pictures drew me to it and the story made it all worth it.

Spacemanatee! by Katie Gilstrap
Illustrated by Alice Samuel

This was such an adorable story about a manatee named Anna who believes there is a Queen Manatee on the moon. She enlists the help of her fellow sea creatures to build a spaceship and then she goes to the moon to see what is there. When she arrives at the moon she realizes no manatee has ever set flippers there, but just as she’s leaving she realizes she is there! I like how Anna the Manatee never gave up on her dream and was able to share it with her fellow sea creatures back home.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Katie Gilstrap, Alice Samuel, and Magination Press for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Spacemanatee! The story was great and the illustrations were whimsical and fun!

Spacemanatee! Is super cute! I loved the vibrant and engaging illustrations. I really liked the rhyming and the glossary at the back. It helped when I couldn't remember what a quasar was and my 4 year old had so many space questions. It truly was a beautiful book we were rooting for Anna Lee the Manatee the whole time!

Thank you to Netgalley and the American Psychological Association for the e-ARC

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this story. My opinions are entirely my own.

The only thing missing from Spacemanetee to make it the perfect children's book is giving the manatee nails. Other the that it included the loon whose song it my favorite to fall asleep to and the manatee whom I love. It's an adorable book with a glossary in the end for space and sea words.

Very cute

Spacemanatee is a very well written and beautifully illustrated children's book. Anna the manatee is convinced that there is a manatee on the moon. When challenged to prove this by one of her friends Anna builds a rocket and flies to the moon. She is temporarily disappointed when she arrives at the moon and discovers that there are no manatees there. However, she quickly realizes that she was wrong and that she is the manatee on the moon.

I liked how the story teaches about working outside of the box to come up with ways to find out information.

I love the illustrations in this book! Anna Lee the manatee is so cute and the color palette the illustrator used is so inviting. Katie Gilstrap wrote a fun, rhyming book about a manatee that believes anything is possible including a queen manatee living on the moon. This story was fun and the ending was great. I love the glossary and the reader's note both were informative.

I loved this book so much. The art work is absolutely beautiful. The story line was fun and inspiring. My daughter absolutely loved that it has a manatee as the main character. We definitely need more manatee books. I look forward to seeing what other books this author has done.

This is the first picture book I've reviewed and it was SO cute! The fact that this book was about a manatee is what drew me to it - I love them!  I loved the rhyming in the story and how it is a story of hope and not giving up. 

The protagonist is a female manatee, named Anna Lee, who thinks there is a queen manatee on the moon. She wants to go to the moon and see, but she needs to build a ship first, which is exactly what she does with her friend, the Loon, looking on. 

She makes it to space and is disappointed to see that there is no manatee on the moon, but when she looks into the window of her spaceship, she realizes that SHE IS the manatee on the moon. She kisses the moon and leaves an imprint of her face there, then goes back home. 

When she comes back home, the Loon looks up to the moon and sees the face of a manatee up there - Anna Lee's face. 

4.5 out of 5 stars. 
I received an arc from Netgalley for an honest review.

This adorable picture book has a positive message for kids about believing in themselves. Anna Lee is convinced that there is a manatee on the moon. When her friend doubts her, she sets out to prove it, thus becoming a manatee on the moon. The fun storyline subtly sends a big message. In addition, the end of the book includes practical advice for parents to help build children's independence and confidence.

SpaceManatee is a fun and imaginative trip to the moon with the unlikeliest of space captains, a manatee. The manatee imagines there is a manatee on the moon and she takes a trip to prove she's right. I love the rhyming verse of the story. The words are imaginative and fun while not being forced in rhyme.

The illustrations were so filled with life and imagination that they help the words create a wonderful space/ocean-scape.

I had a smile on my face the whole time reading the story to myself. I can only imagine how this book would inspire my kids to challenge the central claim that a manatee can, in fact, travel to space.

I love how the author uses this story to explain dreams to children and to help them imagine their goals. I also think this might double a little bit like the successful Australian show, Bluey, which also helps to teach parents how to best support their children. The description at the end of the book gives parents a few tips on fostering children's dreams and imaginations.

I think this is a great read for all ages and would probably be a good tool for school counselor's, teachers, and parents.

Thank you NetGalley and Magination Press for the advance copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. This fun book allows readers to express their creativity and imagination by invisioning a manatee on the moon and the trip it took to get there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Magination Press for providing me with the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Spacemanatee is the cutest children's story! The illustrations are incredibly pretty, I absolutely adored them.
We follow Anna Lee, a manatee who believes there's a manatee on the moon. She's willing to prove her friend the truth and constructs a rocket to go to the moon. It has a great message for kids as well as pretty rhyming writing that's easy to follow.

Review in Spanish:
Gracias a NetGalley y Magination Press por brindarme el arc a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Spacemanatee es un cuento infantil de lo más tierno. Las ilustraciones son increíblemente bonitas, me encantaron. La protagonista es Anna Lee, una manatí que cree que hay un manatí en la luna. Ella está dispuesta a demostrarle la verdad a su amigo y construye un cohete para ir a la luna. Tiene un mensaje super bonito además de una escritura con rimas bien bonita y fácil de seguir.

I loved that this book featured a tenacious manatee that dreamed of going to the moon. This manatee works hard to make her dreams come true. I appreciated that the author included rhyming, and vocabulary words related to space. I also love that she added tips to parents related on how to foster confidence in their children.

Spacemanatee is a lighthearted, beautifully illustrated children's book. My children LOVE manatees, and there aren't many fiction books featuring them. We absolutely loved the illustrations in the book. The text very thoughtfully takes the reader on a journey with Anna lee, Manatee "her body is slow, but her spirit is free." When Anna lee decides to find out if there really is a Manatee on the moon, her positivity and determination plus a rocket ship made of kelp, take her there. My older daughter was able to predict what Anna lee would find, and we were all touched to come to that realization at the end. This book has a sweet message that we may not always find exactly what we're looking for, but the journey is often the reward. I also found the Reader's Note at the end of the book meaningful as it touches on the ways that Anna lee (and our children) build confidence through experiencing new things and handling challenges. I feel like I will remind myself and my children about the benefits of going for it having read this story. Very cute!

My son’s two favorite things are space and marine animals, so when I saw a book about both of them I knew it was a must read. We read this book together and he loved it. I loved the rhyming style and the gorgeous illustrations. This book has a message about confidence and believing in yourself. I really enjoyed it and my son and I had a good talk afterwards about the book.