K-Gr 2 A curious gray seal peers out from the cover, seeming to invite readers into its underwater world. Once inside, the book begins and ends with seals napping on the rocks. This sedentary behavior, the only one visible to earth-bound humans, gives these sea mammals a "lazy" reputation. In fact, as the illustrations go on to show, the seal is anything but. Once below the ocean's surface, the creature's streamlined body and adaptive features (which are described and explained) make it a master predator. The poetic text is full of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and vocabulary that will delight readers. ("A flump is a flop and a jump both together.") Sentences in smaller type act as captions and add further detail, as do the illustrations on the endpapers and the information on the verso of the title page. The beautifully colored, full-spread illustrations portray the seal's transformation from awkward land dweller to sinuous and powerful denizen of the deep. The below-water scenes masterfully evoke the murky ocean habitat and the singular seal's steep descent to the bottom. From the irresistible cover to the closing "super-swimming underwater wonder," the book will encourage readers to dive right in and see what a seal can do.— Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

Butterworth tells the story of one gray seal's search for food. He dives down deep, and on his way back up, he comes across a mackerel shoal (an impressively illustrated motion-filled orb). Facts about seals appear in smaller italicized type throughout the conversational main text. Textured, realistic-looking mixed-media illustrations show the creature at home in both of its natural habitats. Websites. Ind.

Seals might look as though they just laze about on the beach, but underwater, it-s another story entirely, explains Butterworth in this intimate study of a gray seal as it moves from the shore to the sea depths: -Seal slips through the seaweed forest-big eyes searching the gloom. His sharp ears hear dolphins whistle and a ferryboat-s engine chugging.- Several small captions appear on most pages, offering incisive descriptions of seal characteristics and behavior. Debut illustrator Nelms-s naturalistic mixed-media spreads feature a light-infused garden of sea grasses and coral; readers should find the seal, with his marbled gray skin and soulful, puppylike expression to be irresistible. Ages 5-9. (Aug.)