CM Magazine: Seal Song.

________________ CM . . . . Volume XVIII Number 7 . . . . October 14, 2011

cover
Seal Song.

Andrea Spalding. Illustrated by Pascal Milelli.
Victoria, BC: Orca, 2011.
32 pp., hardcover, $19.95.
ISBN 978-1-55469-242-2.

Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8.

Review by Inderjit Deogun.

*** /4

Reviewed from f&g’s.

excerpt:

Swinging down from the wharf, Finn crossed over the rocks to a secret cove where the seals gathered.

Cold green watera
          heaving,
                    swelling.
Velvet bodies
          diving,
                    swimming.
A silkie seal
          watching,
                    waiting.

Finn waved at the seal. He tugged off his boots and shirt and plunged in. “Sing to me,” said Finn. “Sing the seal song that brings good fortune.” The seal blew a fishy breath and disappeared below the waves.

Finn wishes for but a single thing: to hear the seal song that brings good fortune. Every day, he goes for a swim hoping his seal will sing the song he so desperately yearns to hear. One afternoon, Finn spots his seal caught in old netting and works tirelessly to rescue her. His selfless act forges an unlikely friendship that will literally save his life.

Pascal Milelli’s illustrations are extraordinary. His unique artistic style, with his colour blocks and vivid palette, harkens back to the works of Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso. Milelli’s approach allows the reader to bear witness to the natural world with a newfound wonder.

Andrea Spalding’s Seal Song weaves fishing customs and traditional folklore effortlessly into one tale. Spalding adds depth to Seal Song by taking a visceral approach to her storytelling. Thus, the reader gains a more intimate perspective into the characters and their experiences. Seal Song beautifully showcases that a friend can take any shape.

Recommended.

Toronto’s Inderjit Deogun is currently pursuing a career in publishing with a particular interest in children’s literature.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364 Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

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