The Boy and the Dolphin

By: Dick Schmidt

Narrated by: Joe Carey

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Following the unfortunate death of his parents, young Toby Matthias finds himself living a carefree life on Piper Cay, an Out Island in the Bahamas, at his grandparents' inn. Isolated from children his own age, Toby develops a deep and lasting friendship with an unlikely companion: a bottlenose dolphin.

A heartwarming tale, The Boy and the Dolphin follows the tropical adventures of Toby and Phinney as they make sense of life in the mid-50s. When Toby is sent to complete his education in the States and Phinney immerses herself more deeply in her dolphin culture, the best friends experience ever-increasing separations. But even while Toby serves his country in the skies over Vietnam, the boy and the dolphin share an unbreakable, decade-long bond.

©2016 Dick Schmidt (P)2016 Dick Schmidt

Roadtrip Ready!

If you could sum up The Boy and the Dolphin in three words, what would they be?

Imaginative, charming, and reinventive

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Boy and the Dolphin?

I can't pick just one scene, really it was just the way the characters interacted that was so memorable.

What about Joe Carey’s performance did you like?

Joe Carey added a wonderful layer to this already wonderful story!

Who was the most memorable character of The Boy and the Dolphin and why?

All of the characters were an integral part of the story, I truly loved them all.

Any additional comments?

After reading the book myself and liking it, but not really getting into it -then listening to it brought to life through Joe Carey reading it, it was superb

Well written book about a very uncommon friendship

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is so well written you will feel completely immersed into it! I listened to the audiobook version and would highly recommend.
"The Boy & the Dolphin" is a unique story about Toby and a bottlenose dolphin named Phinney. These uncommon friends endure many trials and tribulations during the 1950's, including the Vietnam war.
This book can be enjoyed by a wide variety of ages and even my husband who normally never reads or finishes a book!

Well performed, additive listen

Would you listen to The Boy and the Dolphin again? Why?

The Boy and The Dolphin is imaginative and charming with well crafted characters and overlaying themes of conservation, friendship, and coming-of-age. I'm glad this was not just a simple retelling of the TV show, Flipper. It had more heart in its ability to unravel more about our characters as the pages continued on. Dick Schmidt has an earnest appeal to his writing that reminded me of the 1994 film, Forest Gump. Similarities consisting of isolation, social awkwardness, and true friendships lasting for years, all allowed me to keep an open mind with the direction Schmidt was taking us. I was not disappointed. What I was left with while completing this book is a deeper appreciation of nature, my geographic surroundings, and the friendships I have accumulated over the years.

This book provides excellent detail of the 1950's Caribbean life which created an authentic layer of adversity. Family ties were forged through life circumstances and Schmidt does a beautiful job of relating this through Toby's relationship with Phinney. Overall I had a deeper respect for conservation and the delicate ecosystem in our oceans. This was a beautiful read.

What other book might you compare The Boy and the Dolphin to and why?

Can't think of any books. Just Films: Forest Gump, Finding Nemo, Free Willy, The Never Ending Story, etc...

Which scene was your favorite?

The Caribbean during the 1950's.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Heart felt story of family and human nature.

Any additional comments?

I've read the book. The audio version adds a great layer of authenticity to Dick Schmidt's book.

Imaginative, fun for the family

I thought it was very imaginative and interesting how the author weaves this story through the perspectives of a growing and maturing boy and a dolphin. You experience the highs and lows of life through this unique evolving friendship.
Although the dolphin perspective is fiction, it was fun to learn some information about dolphins. Through Toby/ 'The Boy' you learn a bit about sailing and aviation.
The narrator reads the story clearly, with a pleasant voice. I do enjoy a little more voice acting. But, nevertheless he did a nice job.
Minus a few moments of...mammal nature, this tale is pretty clean and would be ideal for a family roadtrip in my opinion.

Lifetime adventure

This was a really good choice of a book to listen to. Not only is it about living the tropical island life but its about true friendship between a young boy and a dolphin. Toby has to live with his grandparents in the Bahamas due to his parents death. While on the hunt for friends, Toby meets a dolphin and they become the best of friends. He names his dolphin friend Phinney.
As Toby grows up he deals with many changes, tragedies and experiences achievements, all of which he ends up sharing with his best friend Phinney. Toby is forced to deal with horrible illnesses, loss, learning to make friends, furthering his education, learning to fly, and developing a relationship. As the years pass, no matter what happens, Toby always returns to the island and to his friend, Phinney.
We also get to hear the dolphins experiences from its point of view. I found this to be the most interesting part. She remains where she can see Toby, or Boy, as she calls him. She also eventually becomes a mother. She faces jealousy when she is introduced to Toby’s love and when Toby is gone for a time as a result of the war and life, she almost forgets him, but eventually, Phinney remembers her precious friend.
This is such a feel good story on lasting friendship and caring about others.

Unlikely friends and the tale of time

A wonderful story of a young boy and a dolphin. They form an unlikely relationship and grow up together in the Bahamas. This was an endearing story of a boy named Toby in need of a friend and finding one in the unlikeliest place. The story continues of his growth and school years with his Grandparents and locals in their Bahama home area. In turn, the book also gives perspective of the dolphin’s point of view, which was very interesting. I love the time period of the story and all of the detail put into it. The best way to describe this is “finding yourself and finding home”. This was a great book to listen to and I would recommend to all!

Wonderful and heart-warming story for all readers!

Where does The Boy and the Dolphin rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

"The Boy and The Dolphin", by Dick Schmidt, is a heart-warming and charming story that involves wonderfully relatable characters. Seemingly similar to other stories involving a boy and a dolphin such as Flipper, "The Boy and The Dolphin" strays away from this misconception and involves interesting themes like friendship, conservation, and becoming an adult. This story is able to easily convey such honesty and heart in how they slowly unravel complex aspects to the main characters as the story plays out. The author uses this appealing aspect to help bolster how much you truly care about all the characters and the events that happen to them personally and to their families. Never once as I listen to the audiobook did this story disappoint, instead it left me wanting to dig deeper into who these characters are and how much they would change as we span the length of this book.

Additionally, this book provides an excellent look at early 50's Caribbean life which also helped differentiate this story from many others similar to this that have come before it. By the very end, I got to experience entire family relationships established through circumstances that always felt authentic and made Toby's relationship with Phinney relatable even thought I had neither lived in the Caribbean nor been alive during the 1950's. Simply put, "The Boy and The Dolphin" was a wonderful read that I would highly recommend for both young and adult readers alike!

Wonderful Narrator, Good Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Boy and the Dolphin to be better than the print version?

I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book on my Audible app. Of the audiobooks I have listened to, the reader for this novel was the most articulate and pleasant to listen to. I usually get flustered when I rely solely on the audio version of books because I am afraid I will miss something due to the reader’s slurs of speech or accent. I never felt this way with “The Boy and the Dolphin,” though. I was happy to have chosen to listen to it instead of read it during this busy holiday season.

What did you like best about this story?

I was surprised at all the factual information given along with the story. Honestly, when I began this book, I thought it would be a quick light-hearted book for older children. I walked away from this book having learned several life lessons. The storyline follows Toby (the boy) and Phinney (the dolphin) and their beautiful and unique bond between boy and dolphin. Dick Schmidt, the author and a Florida-native, portrays his passion for the ocean throughout this book and brings the reader with him as he admires nature and its intricate elegance. Schmidt writes this novel with the perfect balance between descriptions and dialogue.

Have you listened to any of Joe Carey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other performances by Joe Carey. I would be happy to, though.

If you could take any character from The Boy and the Dolphin out to dinner, who would it be and why?

If I could take any character from The Boy and the Dolphin out to dinner, I would take Chrissy. It would be so interesting to listen to her perspective of Toby as well as hear other details of the stories the reader may have otherwise missed.

Any additional comments?

Although this book did not end up how I thought it would be, it turned out better! I would recommend it to anyone as a heart-warming wintertime read

Great listen for all!

This audiobook was a good attention grabber from the beginning. The narrator I think did a great job of keeping the audience’s attention throughout the whole book. The bond that the story tells of Toby and Phinney is one that will keep you thinking about the book long after the story is over. The book provided great detail of the life people lived in the Caribbean in the 1950’s. The story in general is a feel good story that makes you believe in the power of friendships, even if it is between human and animal. The book was a wonderful read and a heartwarming tale. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a great story.

Fun listen

What did you love best about The Boy and the Dolphin?

This was a great book to listen to. The narrator was great and kept the author's scientific information interesting. Not only was I pleased with the production (the narrator's voice and delivery) but the descriptions of the source material were extremely informative while still holding my attention. The plot might have been a bit simplistic, but the flow of the book lent itself to being a valid, lifelike story. It felt realistic.
Definitely would suggest as a read for animal lovers, and those who want a good conservation story.

What other book might you compare The Boy and the Dolphin to and why?

I haven't read other conservation books like this one.

What does Joe Carey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does well on being both a fictional and scientific narrator.

If you could rename The Boy and the Dolphin, what would you call it?

Pals