AURORA AND THE POPCORN DOLPHIN...

My lovely author-pal SARAH WEBB has a brand new book out, and I think you'll like it... it's the third in the Songbird Cafe Girls series and features Aurora (Rory) who lives on Little Bird Island. After Rory's mum dies, she struggles to connect with anything... until she meets Click the dolphin! I asked Sarah to tell us a little about her inspirations. Ooh, and there's a quiz, too!

Sarah says:
My new book, AURORA AND THE POPCORN DOLPHIN has just come out in Ireland and the UK, and features a very special dolphin called Click. I've always been fascinated by dolphins and whales. When I was nine I tried to teach myself how to speak humpback whale by listening to a plastic record of their amazing song. Strange but true! The record came attached to a copy of National Geographic magazine and it was one of my prized possessions. Every day after school I'd shut myself in my room and wail and moan like a humpback. My mum used to rush into my room thinking I was sick! If you've ever heard a humpback whale singing you'll know what I mean...

There are lots of dolphins in the waters around Ireland where I live and I've been lucky to see them on many occasions; I've seen whales too, in both Ireland and New Zealand. I had so much fun researching this book and learned a lot about sea mammals along the way. I used some of my (and Rory's) favourite dolphin and whale facts to write this quiz - hope you like it!

Rory's Dolphin & Whale Quiz... 

1. What animals are whales and dolphins most closely related to?
a/ crocodiles
b/ hoofed mammals like hippos
c/ elephants

2. What is the largest animals that has ever lived on earth?
a/ fin whale
b/ tyrannosaurus rex
c/ blue whale

3. Can dolphins drown?
a/ yes
b/ no

4. How do dolphins sleep?
a/ they curl up on the sea bed
b/ they float on top of the water
c/ they shut down half of their brain

ANSWERS: 
1. B - lots of people answer elephants, but they are most closely related to hippos!
2. C - the blue whale can weigh up to 170 tonnes, the weight of 30 African elephants. The t-rex only weighed 7 tonnes.
3. A - like all mammals, whales and dolphins have to breathe air. Whales can stay underwater for 90 minutes, dolphins need to breathe every 10-15 minutes.
4. C - dolphins have to be conscious to breathe so cannot go into a fully deep sleep. Instead they shut down half of their brain, which is called uni-hemispheric sleeping!

You can buy AURORA AND THE POPCORN DOLPHIN by Sarah Webb at all good bookstores, or order online!

Cathy says: 
Sarah's 'Songbird Cafe Girls' series is cool... check it out! Do YOU have a fave author you'd like to see featured here? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!