In this children’s picture book, suitable to read to kids or for early readers, young Emily and her pet seal – yes, pet seal – leave the house in search of some yummy fish on a rainy day without asking anyone’s permission. That’s a good start, but their adventurousness is just beginning and will take them, literally, all over the world! “Along the way, author Thomas Beal treats his readers to a wealth of delicious imagery, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes that invite us to linger and savor the words that carry us from one place to another. This a book to read, reread, and read aloud.” --Colleen Anderson. “Bara Seal and Emily seem an unlikely pair to leave the comfort of home for far-flung travels, but we will see that their hidden talents, compassion and resilience emerge as they help newly discovered friends find sustenance and solace. Along the way they encounter worlds of hidden beauty and song. We can only surmise that some events are imaginary, but the themes of friendship, family strife and resolution, are real enough, and will relate to parents and children alike.” --Jim McJunkin
Terra Alta, West Virginia: Headline Kids, 2018. 40 pages illustrated by Elea Paybins. Oversized hardback in dust jacket