I'm bored! Five-year-old Jillian doesn't enjoy sailing with her father and older brothers. They won't let her help, and they make it abundantly clear that she is in the way. It's not fun! Her father urges her to search for a seal with a pink bow in the ocean, and when she discovers Mary, Jillian's imagination soars! Soon she is talking and playing with a baby harbor seal, and creating new adventures all summer long. Even when the cold weather arrives and Jillian can't sail, she knows that Mary will always come back when she uses her power of imagination!
The Seal with a Pink Bow is a story of a special relationship between a father and his daughter, and the gift of creativity and self-entertainment he shares with her. It is perfect for preschool and early readers.
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**My thoughts**
I first have to say that I love that this book was born from a family tradition. That makes it even more special for the creators, but can also inspire another family to do the same or compare their own adventures to the book.
Mary is a seal with a pink bow who only appears to the narrator. They spend the summer having all kinds of fun. When the weather gets colder, Mary goes away for the annual migration. But of course, she returns in the spring. And the little girl's father is her biggest supporter of her belief in her special friend, especially when her brothers tease her. (I also love this.)
It's a really sweet story of essentially an imaginary friend, but shows how much fun you can have with your imagination. Perhaps young readers will be inspired to find their own fun playmates!
This is a cute one for at home or in the classroom.
I received a requested review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Award-winning author Ellen B. Alden is a former elementary teacher who began her writing career in 2016 when she published a historical fiction novel based on a Civil War letters she discovered in her attic. Her book Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke was awarded Best Fiction novel by the Independent Publisher of New England in 2017 and sent her on a book tour throughout New England, the Midwest, and Ireland. Ellen is a graduate of Saint Michael's College in Vermont. She also attended Pepperdine University and Merrimack College Graduate School of Education. Ellen loves sailing on the Maine coast and Cape Ann with her husband and three children. She lives in a picturesque town, North of Boston called Manchester-by-the-Sea.
About the illustrator:
Peter Zafris enjoys the creative process as much as seeing the result of his efforts. He feels fortunate as an adult to be doing something he loves; creating illustrations, photographs, product and package designs. Peter subscribes to the entire Adobe Suite, but he prefers to work primarily in Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC. He is also an avid photographer who uses his high-resolution digital camera to shoot product shots for the packages and catalogs he designs. Every project Peter receives offers unlimited creative possibilities and a chance to try something new.
Peter Zafris enjoys the creative process as much as seeing the result of his efforts. He feels fortunate as an adult to be doing something he loves; creating illustrations, photographs, product and package designs. Peter subscribes to the entire Adobe Suite, but he prefers to work primarily in Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC. He is also an avid photographer who uses his high-resolution digital camera to shoot product shots for the packages and catalogs he designs. Every project Peter receives offers unlimited creative possibilities and a chance to try something new.
