THE STORM SEAL
by Judy Waite & illustrated by Neil Reed
After a wild storm at sea, a retired fisherman finds an abandoned seal baby, and takes him home to his cottage. Soon the seal settles in, drinking fish soup from a bottle, and following the fisherman around. The neighbor children come to pet and play with the seal, but the fisherman knows he is a wild thing and should go back to the sea. He teaches him to dive for fish, and when he is grown releases him so he can join the other seals in the bay. It’s a work of fiction, but Waite makes it easy to envision such a scenario; this warm and cozy story offers a welcome picture of contemporary life by the sea. Reed works in a palette of lavender and blue watercolors; the people are smiling and the seals are completely charming. A gentle message, delicately delivered. (Picture book. 5-7)