Arcto the Seal
Pauline Reilly
Kayelene Traynor

Bristlebird Books, 2000

32p. pbk., $9.95
0957778910

“Arcto the Seal,” is a story about an Australian Fur Seal called Arcto.  It tells how she survives the dangers of the sea and cares for her pups.  It warns people to stay away from the seals and informs on where they live and what they do.

This book is intended for children 10 years and under.  The language in “Arcto the Seal” is appropriate for this age group.  The pictures are very detailed and help younger children understand the information.  They show what happens to Arcto and help explain the story. 

The layout of this book is horizontal and assists the reader to appreciate the habitat of the seals.  The print makes “Arcto the Seal” easy to read.  Teachers would find this a good book to read to a younger class.  It could also be a read-alone book with an older child.

It is good that there is an information section at the back which shows further detail about the different kinds of seals, those that are related to, or look like the Fur Seals of Australia. 

I think this book has a cute story because the seals are very appealing.  It helps children understand about Australian Fur seals and the need to protect them in the future.

Reviewer: Emily, 12, Sunshine Coast

This paperback book tells the story of a seal called Arcto. At the end of the story it says Arcto is an Australian Fur Seal. This book tells about the life cycle of the seal. Arcto mates with a bull and then has a pup that is born in a sac. It is written like a narrative but it gives lots of information about seals including their food and the dangers they survive.

We like this book because you can learn interesting facts about seals and it has nice illustrations that show us what they look like. It is not like an information book where you can look up a keyword in the index. You have to read the whole book to learn the information.

This book would be useful if you were doing research on seals or just wanted to read about them. We think you would have to be a good reader and in Year 2 and upwards to be able to read all the words.

I thought "Arcto the Seal" was very good. It was appropriate for my age group. I like Arcto because seals are one of my favourite animals and the book told me a lot about them.

I didn't know that bulls had long teeth and that they stood up to each other, trying to look huge when they fight. I also didn't know that when the pups grow up they live in groups. I did know that seals suckle their young because they are mammals.

I really enjoyed this book.