(2) 4-6 Geetha and her mother, who lives with depression, move from Chennai, India, to Rhode Island, leaving behind the rest of their family and settling in an apartment near Narragansett Bay. Geetha is lonely at school and is made fun of for her accent, food, and thrift-store clothes. She often fights to "hold back the dam of anger building," though regular trips to the library and composing music on her bamboo flute provide release. She befriends Miguel, a Mexican American boy, and the two find a harp seal that has been injured by a fishing line; after it's taken in by the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, they visit it as it convalesces. Inspired to prevent further injury to animals from pollution, the two organize a community beach cleanup. Written in verse, this compact, emotional story brims with metaphors about the ocean and sea life that echo its themes of home and the scary process of learning to let go of people, things, and beliefs. Additionally, there is a strong marine conservationist message that may inspire readers to learn more and take action. An author's note contextualizes Geetha's story in Venkatraman's own experiences; resources about marine life, bullying, and mental health are also appended.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 A determined girl wants a dog; an animal shelter worker shows her everything but a dog. His offerings become increasingly absurd, and eventually he admits that he has no dog. There's abundant humor in the nonsensical pet options (a dead goldfish) and the man's suggestions (teach the lizard to say woof). This is signature Agee: the pictures, punch lines, and expert pacing carry the weight.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Arctic Animals at Risk series. Each of the species featured is under threat from the impacts of human activity, most importantly the cascading effects of climate change. The books describe each species and its habitat, the challenges it now faces, and what its extinction might mean. The books end on a positive note, highlighting efforts to save and protect the animals. Engaging photos and range maps are included. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Arctic Animals at Risk titles: Arctic Foxes, Harp Seals, Musk Oxen, Narwhals, and Polar Bears

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 1-3 Translated by Cathy Hirano. Illustrated by Jun Takabatake. In this friendship story from Japan, Professor Whale exchanges letters with young Wally, the grandson of a beloved fellow whale. Reminiscing about the good old days prompts the professor to resurrect the Whale Point Olympics, inviting far-flung friends (including Penguin and Giraffe from Yours Sincerely, Giraffe) to return for the fun and games. Humorous black-and-white line drawings add humor and warmth.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) PS Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Five little penguins sit on the ice; the first three penguins make pleasantries ("Today feels very nice!" and so on) until the fourth and fifth penguins notice a seal: "He wants us for a meal!" The seal gives chase until the reveal that it just wants to play tag. Digitally illustrated in icy blues, this is a lively Antarctic twist on "The Five Little Pumpkins" rhyme.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 4-6 Aran lives with his selkie clan, eagerly awaiting the day he gets his pelt so he can finally keep up in seal-form. After eleven years he's become desperate, but he never thought his search would lead him to the most feared enemy of the sea: humans. Imbued with magic and lore, this gentle fantasy--like its sympathetic protagonist--belongs entirely to neither the shore nor the sea.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Ocean Life series. In spare, direct sentences, this series entry offers basic facts about seals, touching on their habitat, physical appearance, family relationships, diet, and behaviors. Large type, clear organization, and eye-catching color photos are geared to new nonfiction readers. A concluding spread features an anatomically labeled photo of a seal and a couple of close-ups of specific features. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) 4-6 Ten-year-old Fiona returns to the Western Isles of Scotland to live with her grandparents and (secretly) search for her missing little brother. The story's action and intrigue begin right away, as Fiona is befriended by the chief of the gray seals and learns her clan's selkie history. The setting is vividly evoked, with fantasy elements woven seamlessly into the homey details of domestic island life.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1959; November, 2017

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. A monk seal got a fishhook caught in her mouth and almost starved. Rehabilitated by a team of scientists, "Honey Girl" was released back into Hawaiian waters. Readers will cheer Honey Girl's recovery and birth of healthy pups into the endangered population. Unfortunately, no photos are included, but the realistic illustrations are somewhat appealing. Four pages of additional information and activities are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 In the Deep Blue Sea series. After tips to adult caregivers on encouraging new readers, each choppy easy-reader text provides a basic survey of a different type of ocean mammal, describing the creature's physical appearance, diet, life cycle, and threats to survival. Dynamic underwater photographs elevate the fairly skimpy content; "Did You Know?" sidebars provide additional cursory facts throughout. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these In the Deep Blue Sea titles: Dolphins, Seals, Sea Otters, Walruses, and Whales.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(2) 1-3 Recently retired newsagent Mister Cleghorn impulsively adopts Charlie, an orphaned seal pup. What follows is an adventure involving a tin bathtub, a train, lots of slippery fish, and difficult zoo politics before Charlie finds a happy home. This story is thoroughly and sweetly old-fashioned, in its reassuring narrative voice, in its olden-days setting, and in its soft-edged pencil illustrations.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(3) 1-3 Piper Green and the Fairy Tree series. Illustrated by Qin Leng. In her third multi-stranded adventure set on a small Maine island, seven-year-old Piper Green sets out to earn enough money to buy a horse, befriends a seal (whom she terms a "sea pony"), and finds her lobsterman father's lost skiff. Brief chapters, a wealth of expressive line-and-wash illustrations, and Piper's irrepressible nature will hold the interest of newly independent readers.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Polar Animals series. These basic introductions to polar mammals offer cursory facts about appearance, habitat, food, and life cycle. Simple (if choppy) texts for emergent readers are adequately reflected in the accompanying photos. Each book's appendix includes comparisons of the animal's average weight, length, or height to some hard-to-grasp items (e.g., at 3,300 pounds, "a male beluga whale weighs as much as three soda vending machines"). Glos., ind. Review covers these Zoom In on Polar Animals titles: Arctic Foxes, Beluga Whales, Caribou, Polar Bears, and Seals.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Readers series. In each volume, an easy-to-read if choppy text provides basic information on the titular animal, touching on habitat, physical characteristics and adaptations, and diet. Written at a slightly more advanced level, Chimpanzees features topical two-page chapters. Relevant photos (to which the text periodically refers) provide resting points and often illustrate the concepts. Glos. Review covers these Kingfisher Readers titles: Seals and Chimpanzees.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Cordelia has been trying to hold her family together since her mother left. When middle-sister Ione becomes convinced that their mother is actually a selkie who's returned to the bay, the girls set out (with baby Neevy) in search of a legendary selkies' island. Thomas's writing is sensory and lyrical; Cordie's determination coupled with her naiveté heightens this touching family drama's poignancy.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Brian Floca. Twelve-hundred-pound elephant seal Elizabeth preferred the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand, to the ocean. She sometimes hauled herself up onto the city's roads and obstructed traffic, prompting an "elephant seal crossing" road sign. Cox creates an appealing narrative for this intriguing, if problematic, individual. Floca uses a spare but agile pen to convey Elizabeth's persistence; spacious sweeps of watercolor evoke sea and sky.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(4) YA The sequel to The Edge of Nowhere picks up the story of psychic Becca King who has fled from her criminal stepfather and taken up a life on Whidbey Island, where a mystery develops around a seal that visits yearly. With so many subplots, the story's main thread is difficult to discern, but the large cast of characters is nicely realized.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(2) PS Illustrated by Kate Nelms. Butterworth tells the story of one gray seal's search for food. He dives down deep, and on his way back up, he comes across a mackerel shoal (an impressively illustrated motion-filled orb). Facts about seals appear in smaller italicized type throughout the conversational main text. Textured, realistic-looking mixed-media illustrations show the creature at home in both of its natural habitats. Websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(4) 4-6 Amy is lonely following the departure of her best friend, and she's dreading a long summer in her tiny coastal Maine town. After befriending an orphaned seal pup, she gains a purpose--and two very different new (human) friends. Infused with a strong sense of place, this 1970s-set novel is a little ponderous but will have appeal for Amy's fellow animal lovers.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Water Babies series. Geared to beginning readers, these adequate introductions use short sentences and engaging color photographs to present the life cycle of a sea mammal from infancy to maturity. The books briefly cover diet, habitat, and growth. A small world map shows where the animals live. A few boldface vocabulary words are defined in a picture glossary. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Water Babies titles: Manatee Calves, Orca Calves, Sea Otter Pups, and Seal Pups.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow