Storytime Activity: This is a Sea Cow

July 23, 2020Shayla Bailey

ICAN’s Audio Book Tour continues with author and illustrator, Cassandra Federman. Airing every third Thursday of the month at 5p PT, we feature new books from authors and illustrators.

Manatees are affectionately called Sea Cows in this second grader’s report.

On July 23rd the International Childrens Arts Network is premiering This is a Sea Cow, a story written and illustrated by Cassandra Federman and published by Albert Whitman and Co. In this colorful book, we follow Sea Cow- or Manatee as she prefers to be called, as she comes to life on the pages of a school report and teaches a creative second grader (and all of you!) the exciting truth about Manatees.

Cassandra was born and raised in Massachusetts, where she spent her childhood reading comic books, playing action figures, drawing superheroes, and participating in all things nerdy (before that became cool).

She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University and moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in film and television. She later became a hand model and even played Jessica Alba’s hands once—allegedly. (The footage has never been found…)

She recently gave up pretending to be famous people’s hands to focus on creating art and literature for children.

Did this story make a splash? Be sure to check out another book by Cassandra- ”This is a Seahorse”! Time for another school report…but now it’s Seahorse’s turn to teach the class what makes his species so special. Get it for your collection at Albert Whitman

You can hear ICAN’s Audio Book Tour every third Thursday at 5p PT with a rebroadcast the following Sunday at 8a PT. Check out more books featured in ICAN’s Audio Book Tour.