Seal Journey: 4 [Hardcover]

Richard Sobol (Author), Jonah Sobol (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Stunning color photographs capture the epic story of the harp seals of Eastern Canada, whose pups--whitecoats that were once hunted but are now protected by the government--are born on the ice floes of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-A handsome, readable book that combines general information with the personal record of the trip made by Sobol and his son to the birthing grounds of the harp seal on a pack of ice in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Lavishly illustrated with crisp full-color photos, Seal Journey gives insight into the life cycle of the harp seal, the history of efforts to curtail the brutal clubbings of the snowy pups for their shimmering coats (for this herd at least), and the feelings of a young boy who watches pups being born, nursing, and learning to swim. Report writers may cling to Olga Cossi's more detailed Harp Seals (Carolrhoda, 1991), but readers will enjoy accompanying Jonah and his father in the chill bitter cold of an early Arctic spring. A page of seal facts will aid researchers.
Patricia Manning, Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-8. Black-eyed, white-furred seal pups are among the most appealing of animals, and Sobol's pictures, taken on a breeding island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, make the most of their photogenic quality. He shows a pup so newborn that its coat is still matted and stained from the birth canal. He shows the same pup nursing, older pups learning to swim or wriggle their way over the snow, and the whole colony spread across the snow, looking like chocolate sprinkles scattered on top of a huge bowl of vanilla ice cream. His text relates the long struggle to prohibit the clubbing of these newborns and to protect the breeding grounds. Sobol took his eight-year-old son Jonah with him, and his photographs of Jonah petting and holding one of the pups should arouse both interest and envy among young readers. A well-written text with excellent photographs. Sheilamae O'Hara

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; F edition (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525651268
• ISBN-13: 978-0525651260
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,281,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, though brief, look at Seal pup's life, December 1, 2011

By 

Nicola Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seal Journey: 4 (Hardcover)

Reason for Reading: I am reading Richard Sobol's entire backlist with my son and discussing the life of a photographer/photojournalist as a career option while doing so. This is the final book for us to read.

A short read with lots of illustrations. The author brought his son with him on this assignment and the story is told through both of their points of view. The reader is generally shown the complete life of a seal pup from birth until it is abandoned by it's mother. Then it describes at this point how it will take the cub a couple more years until he is ready to join in the mating ritual and complete the life cycle again. There is only scant page time spent on the controversial hunting practices and no photographs of this are shown. They stick to the beauty of the animal. An entertaining, if brief, account of an animal's way of life

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for kids and the classroom!, November 7, 2005

By 

Cheryln L. Ayala "Cher630" (Bronx, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seal Journey: 4 (Hardcover)

I've read this book with every 4th grade classroom I've taught. It coincides wonderfully with our science unit on animals, habitats, and adaptations.

The students love reading this story and are really into the story of the baby seal and all the wonderful pictures. It's a great edition to any classroom library!