  | Seagull and the sea captain Author: Montgomery, Sy | |
| Price: $23.08 | ||
Summary:
In a quiet harbor in New England, a sea captain named Ellis is visited by a seagull. By the end of the week the seagull had retuned and was eating crackers out of the captain's hand. They continued their friendship the entire season and the next year in the spring the gull retuned. After four years of friendship, the wild seagull named Polly still visits. This unlikely story of a wild bird and a friendly sea captain reminds us how we are all connected.
| Illustrator: | Schimler-Safford, Amy |
Reviews:
School Library Journal (04/15/22)
Booklist (02/15/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/15/2022 One day in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a sea captain guided his schooner out of the harbor. His passengers wanted to see the sights: mansions, buoys, lighthouses, and whales. Seagulls flew into the air, also taking in the sights: people eating, fishermen hauling in their nets, and the beautiful schooner. Suddenly, a gull with five toes (one was missing) landed behind the captain, who tossed him an oyster cracker. Afterwards, the gull returned daily to visit the captain and share a snack. That autumn, the bird flew south, but in spring, he returned and joined the captain on his daily voyages. Weather permitting, he still does. Montgomery, author of the Sibert Award–winning Kakapo Rescue (2010) offers a well-structured narrative underscoring the link between people and animals through the similarity of their activities and the repeated line, “Everything’s more fun with a friend.” Illustrated using watercolors, oil paints, oil pastels, collage, and digital elements, the handsome double-page spreads capture the beauty of the sea setting. This pleasing picture book tells the story of a bird who befriended a man. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
Booklist - 02/15/2022 - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 04/15/2022 PreS-Gr 3—Not much happens in this tale set in Gloucester Harbor, based on a true story about a sea captain (who remains unnamed) and his encounter and subsequent friendship with a five-toed herring gull he dubs Polly Five Toes. There is very little action; the most exciting moment is a reunion after the captain's long absence from the sea. The compelling watercolor illustrations are beautiful and dreamlike; Schimler-Safford uses geometric shapes to draw the readers' eyes to the landscape. The vibrant colors and the detailed images complement the story well. The back matter provides a mix of both anecdotal as well as scientific information about seagulls, and this elevates the material. It could lead to prompts for discussions with older children in a classroom, or for families reading the story together at home. VERDICT A simple story with engaging illustrations for selected purchase.—Davia Schmidt - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
