Seal Surfer
by Michael Foreman
Interest age: 5 to 8
Reading age: 6+
Published by Andersen Press, 2006
About this book
A welcome re-publication of Foreman's timeless and evocative account of a boy's relationship with life and death.
Walking on the cliffs with his grandfather in spring, the boy witnesses the seal's birth, watches its growth, and in the summer is rescued by it when surfing. By the next spring, grandfather comes no more, and the seals are gone, but in the summer the young seal returns with her own pup, as the boy will return in the future with his own grandchildren.
Magical, tender illustrations support a powerful text which addresses trust, love and the ability of relationships to transcend generations, species, abilities and even death itself. Foreman successfully includes a disabled character in his pictures, without comment. The images subtly show that the boy uses mobility aids and an adjusted surfboard.
About the author
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