The Seal on the Beach
Age 5+
Picture Storybooks
An inspiring story of hope and survival written and illustrated with lyricism, empathy and warmth.
Maggie is on holiday with her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile her mum waits for Maggie’s baby brother to come home from hospital. On a walk across the wild Norfolk shoreline, Maggie finds a seal pup stranded on the beach, all alone. She is the sweetest thing Maggie has ever seen. But without her mum, how will the seal survive? Who will rescue her and will she ever be returned to the sea, and find her family again? Expressed through her vivid dreams and thoughtful actions, Maggie longs for the rescue and survival of this dear little seal pup. And, all the while, she hopes with all her heart to be reunited with her own mum and baby brother again.
Creators
Mara Bergman is an award-winning children’s writer, poet and editor. She was born in NYC on leap year day and grew up on Long Island, and though she’s lived most of her life in the UK, she’s never lost her accent. Mara has always felt a strong link between poetry and picture books and loves to write both. Her picture books have won numerous awards in the UK and US; Oliver Who Would Not Sleep was a Bookstart choice and appeared on CBeebies, along with Itchy Itch Itch, illustrated by Emily Bolam. Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide won the Booktrust Early Years Award. Her books have been translated into many languages worldwide.
Brita Granström is a multi-award winning illustrator of children’s books, and has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Brita was born near Eskilstuna in Sweden and studied at Konstfack in Stockholm. Although her Nordic roots remain self-evident in work made on location; both indoors and outdoors, and in all weathers, she has lived and painted in the UK since 1994. Her paintings are in private and public collections around the world and she has appeared on television and radio.
