The Girl and the Manatee

Maya arrives at the manatee center carrying her crayons and paper, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt, curious about the gentle animals that live in the water. Guide Ms. Rosa, dressed in her khaki ranger uniform, brings her to Pip, a round young manatee with wrinkled grey skin and a whiskered snout who floats to the glass and wiggles his nose. Maya is charmed, but her smile fades when she learns that fast boats and their propellers can scratch and injure manatees. Looking at her drawing of Pip, she decides to act instead of simply feeling sad.

Her plan is a poster: a large manatee with a kind face, a small calf beside it, a slow boat, a red heart and a clear message asking boaters to slow down. Ms. Rosa praises the poster and takes Maya to the marina, where the girl speaks with Captain Leo, a bearded captain who admits he is always rushing. Maya explains how slowing down lets manatees swim away safely, and the captain, recalling a scarred manatee he once saw, promises to change and to tell his friends. This warm tale by Çınar BİBER can be read on Masalcı Baba.