SEAL JOURNEY

Each year, thousands of harp seals gather on the ice packs of eastern Canada to give birth; Richard Sobol and his eight-year-old son Jonah traveled to one seal colony, 100 miles north of Prince Edward Island, to record the event. In the harsh frozen environment, where spring temperatures are below zero, the cycle of giving birth, nursing, and mating occurs in just two weeks—during which the furry, white, 20-pound babies must gain 60 pounds and learn to swim in order to survive. Vivid color photos complement the text: a startled, sticky, wet pup, minutes after birth, his coat still yellow; a roly-poly seal getting a first swim lesson; Jonah, wrapped to his eyeballs, sitting on the ice floe to hug a pup. Good detail, a strong conservation plea, and an appealing adventure. List of seal facts. (Nonfiction. 10-12)