Publisher of the award-winning Kobee Manatee® Children's Educational Picture Book series!
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot, The Happy Life, 1896
About Us Located in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, Thompson Mill Press focuses on the development, publishing, and distribution of the award-winning Kobee Manatee® Children’s Educational Picture Book series containing anthropomorphic characters. We are currently in four world territories and our plans include continuing expanding the Kobee Manatee® brand around the globe. Additionally, we want to educate our young generation with "soft facts" about the harmful effects of climate change. This can help them become more resiliantant and can help them play a paramount role in climate change mitigation.Our MissionWe are driven and committed on bringing to the world brilliantly illustrated picture books, which educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of children, their parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians. Our Mantra"What Walt Disney's creativity and branding is doing with a mouse, I intend to do with a manatee." - Bob Regan, Founder, Thompson Mill Press Our Titles ...
Our newest award-winning installment, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard is receiving wonderful reveiws by the media and the literary world as well!
Kobee Manatee Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard
"I read the book to my 6-year-old while he was having his breakfast before school and he loved it! We talked about the characters, what it meant for the pollution to be in the oceans for all the sea creatures, and how fun the story was. Thank you so much for writing such a great story for kids that is not only entertaining, but has a message!" – Jessica Vilchis, Host NBC Channel 4 California Live "Kobee Manatee is a lovable and magnetic host, leading readers into the waters that cover 70% of the earth while opening young minds to the connections between human actions and marine ecosystems. Creating opportunities, which inspire love for our marine animals can cultivate an environmentally responsible conscience that can last a lifetime.” – Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA Research Scientist (aka Inspector Planet)
"A well-crafted, thoughtful, and well-illustrated addition to a noteworthy educational book series." - Kirkus Reviews
  • Our Award-Winning Debut title: Kobee Manatee® Heading Home To Florida! Uncover Cool Manatee Facts!

  • LEXILE Measure: 610L Kobee takes a rare summertime trip from Florida all the way up to New England, but has to get back home before winter or he'll die from the cold. On his twelve-hundred-mile journey south, he meets two new friends and faces several unforeseen obstacles. You'll also discover fun facts on the habitat and behavior of the West Indian Manatee. To learn more, click here.
Children's author Robert Scott Thayer and Dr. Tracy Fanara talk about climate change and how it affects the Florida manatee on WFLA Tampa, Florida.
HC 9780988326927 $16.99
"Children can learn a great deal about manatees and their habitat by reading about Kobee and his friends and their traveling adventure." - Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation, Save the Manatee Club "A swimmingly fun, educational trip sure to be enjoyed by young friends of the manatee." - Kirkus Reviews "This luxuriously illustrated, infectiously charming story makes us want to save the manatee and have a plush version to hug." - ForeWord Clarion Reviews "Preschool through early elementary aged children will enjoy learning about manatees thanks to Thayer's combination of enticing storyline and fun facts, not to mention Gallegos' excellent pictures." - The Children's Book Review (www.thechildrensbookreview.com)
"A thoughtful and entertaining introduction to manatees for young children that effortlessly mixes fact and fiction. These gentle and mysterious creatures have found effective advocates with the launch of this talented author and illustrator team." - BlueInk Review
Kobee’s thrilling Journeys continue with our second award-winning children’s educational picture book titled, Kobee Manatee® A Wild Weather Adventure!Hold on as Kobee Manatee® and his seafaring pals encounter incredibly wild weather!LEXILE MEASURE: 560L 
HC 9780988326941 $16.99
Loaded with surprises and exciting facts about weather, this thrilling tale follows Kobee Manatee® as he travels across the mighty Atlantic Ocean into the strong Gulf Stream current during hurricane season! His daring adventure begins when Kobee decides he wants to surprise his sister Kim, who lives in the Bahamas, on her birthday. Will Kobee and his friends, Tess and Pablo, be able to travel safely from Key West, Florida, through all of the wild tropical weather coming their way? Each page includes in-depth, scientific details titled “Kobee’s Fun Facts,” which expand on the weather events the characters encounter along the way.
"A rare children's book that gives kids a colorful learning adventure and some weather fun facts parents will enjoy too." - Rob Marciano | ABC News Senior Meteorologist "An appealing picture book distinguished by its colorful images, creatively distilled meteorological facts, and simple but dynamic storytelling." - Kirkus Reviews
"This vibrantly illustrated and amusing adventure will make learning about weather feel incidental." - ForeWord Clarion Reviews
Our third title in the award-winning Kobee Manatee® children's educational picture book series, Kobee Manatee® Shipwreck Sea Friends. Travel with Kobee as he uncovers a historic shipwreck and extraordinary colorful reef fish off the coast of Puerto Rico!
In Collaboration with World-Renowned Oceanographer, Conservationist, and Documentary Filmmaker - Fabien Cousteau!
LEXILE MEASURE: 700L
HC 9780997123937 $16.99
Kobee Manatee® with his pals, Tess the seahorse, and Pablo the hermit crab, meet some new sea friends as they explore colorful coral reefs and the historic shipwreck of the SS Antonio López near Puerto Rico. You'll discover some of the most colorful reef fish in the world!
But wait ... Kobee becomes trapped deep inside the ship! Can he be saved in enough time?
You won't want to miss the excitement, friendship, and fascinating facts about some very popular tropical fish around the remarkable coral reefs they call home!
“Kobee and his ocean pals are full of fun, adventure, and inspiration. They give the reader a better sense of the magic and mystery within our ocean world. Following them onto the historic wreck dive of the SS Antonio López off of Puerto Rico, we learn all sorts of fascinating facts about wildlife and dangers, all while being entranced by the camaraderie of these fast friends. Even if one never gets a chance to ‘peek below the blue veneer’ of our planet, the adventures of Kobee and his aquatic mates are sure to make anyone appreciate how precious life is below the waves.” – Fabien Cousteau "Another creative blending of real-life oceanography and gentle fantasy in a smart and entertaining series. " – Kirkus Reviews
“Children will be drawn to the colors and images, and amused by the story of Kobee and his friends. Far more significantly, they will learn some important information that may help them to appreciate the ocean, and the beauty and diversity of the world beneath the water’s surface.” – Foreword Clarion Reviews
“We are happy to award deserving books like Kobee Manatee®: Shipwreck Sea Friends. Our panel of judges really felt this special book merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly products that parents and educators can feel confident in using.” – Dawn Matheson, CEO, Mom’s Choice Awards
Our Award-Winning Fourth Series Installment on Climate Change with Dr. Tracy Fanara!Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard! Lexile Measure: 790L
HC 9780997123999 $17.99
"Kobee Manatee is a lovable and magnetic host, leading readers into the waters that cover 70% of the earth while opening young minds to the connections between human actions and marine ecosystems. Creating opportunities, which inspire love for our marine animals can cultivate an environmentally responsible conscience that can last a lifetime.” – Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA Scientist (aka Inspector Planet) "A well-crafted, thoughtful, and well-illustrated addition to a noteworthy educational book series." - Kirkus Reviews "Robert Scott Thayer presents an important environmental message in an engaging story with wonderful characters. Anyone who loves the ocean and wants to help save it should read Kobee Manatee: Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. I’m looking forward to the next Kobee Manatee adventure." - Readers' Favorite “We are happy to award deserving books like Kobee Manatee®: Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. Our panel of judges really felt this special book merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly products that parents and educators can feel confident in using.” – Dawn Matheson, CEO, Mom’s Choice Awards “Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard is a fantastic journey showcasing fun, friendship, and the necessity of keeping our oceans clean. Highly recommended.” – Chanticleer Reviews www.chantireviews.com
Kobee Manatee® and his pals are swimming from the Cayman Islands to Belize. Kobee wants to help his cousin Quinn clean up plastic litter at her new, all-veggie underwater bistro called Quinn's Seagrass café. However along the way, the friends encounter harmful effects of climate change and several other unforseen problems – a distressed loggerhead turtle, a giant Portuguese man-of-War, and a venomous scorpionfish. Their adventure takes another surprising turn when Pablo plunges into the Great Blue Hole! Can Kobee and his buddies save Pablo?
A Caribbean adventure loaded with fun, surprises, and facts about climate change, and plastic pollution in our oceans.
Kobee Manatee® Children's Educational Series is now in China!
Kobee Manatee®: Heading Home to Florida (Book 1) and Kobee Manatee®: A Wild Weather Adventure (Book 2) have secured translation rights pertaining to Chinese simplified characters in print volume form for the territory of Mainland China. BPG Bright Technology & Culture is the Chinese publisher overseeing manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. It has been a long and challenging journey, taking just over two years negotiating translation rights, working with Beijing on agreement extensions and assisting in the editing process.
Contact Us
For more information on Thompson Mill Press contact us:
Thompson Mill Press 2110 S. Eagle Rd., Suite 368Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940 USA bob.regan@thompsonmillpress.com
Available at all major wholesalers. U.S. and Canada ordering questions? Please call: (800) 937-8100For additional information, please email bob.regan@thompsonmillpress.com https://www.kobeemanatee.com © 2025 thompsonmillpress.com, All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy & Terms of Service