“Seal” by Judy Allen. Illustrated by Tudo Humphries .1993 , Candlewick Press. Picture book. Ages 6-9.
This is one of several books by Judy Allen about endeangered species.
While on vacation with her family in Greece, Jenny discovers a family of rare monk seals,
sheltering in a cave on a remote isalnd. Jenny longs to tell her family of her exciting find, and prove that
she is on par with them in terms of knowledge. But doing so would place the lives of the seals
in danger: the seal mothers would kill their young if they are disturbed and the seals would plunge into the sea where ominious fishing nets waited. On their way home from their excursion, Jenny makes the difficult decision and earns the respect of her Greek friend, Stephanos .
Facts about the Mediterranean monk seal propel the story forward. When Jenny first spots a silver seal on an evening boat ride, Stephanos -
a fisherman’s son- says nothing.This initial encounter foreshadows
what will happen later on in the story- the discovery of the seals and Jenny’s part in helping them.
There is a fact sheet about monk seals at the back of the book . The afterword also discusses the dangers posed by fisherman and contains information about conservation efforts towards preserving this remarkable species.
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