One Seal

One Seal by John Stadler 1999

A child's kite heads out to sea, and the crowd that appears to help him catch it is quite a hodgepodge of creatures. The seal is the first to crawl out of the sea, followed by many other animals that live far from the ocean. As they exit the water, they begin to stack on top of one another in a pyramid shape. Each turn of the page reveals that the animals have changed position in the line up, but they never falter. One very small hard shelled creature grabs the kite string.

A group photo is taken, and addresses are exchanged before each animal ambles away. The child retrieves his kite from the animal who began the procession. One seal.

Stadler's artwork introduces each animal as friendly and helpful, and this is done with a minimal use of words. An interesting, yet unusual book that your child is sure to enjoy.

Appropriate for ages 4-8