Written in the present tense, the text reads like the narration for a National Geographic nature TV special [not surprising, for Davies, one of the book's co-authors, is a documentary filmmaker as well as a writer-photographer]. The layout of the book is attractive and balanced. Organized into ten chapters, the book contains abundant, detailed information gleaned from the authors' many years of studying the seals firsthand. The seals' appealing physical and behavioral characteristics, as well as their hostile, yet beautiful, icy habitat, are captured in glorious full colour photographs, many of them double-page spreads, and all of them clearly labelled. Some of the photos are almost identical in content, leading one to believe that the photographers couldn't decide which ones to eliminate from their vast collection, and so they included them all - a bit of overkill perhaps.

      The text is printed in a simple font, but the rich vocabulary is far too difficult for most elementary school readers. An overabundance of details will also deter younger students from using this book for a research project.

      Proponents of animal rights, however, will find this book fascinating and informative, for it is obvious, right from its onset, that this is not just a story of the harp seal's life, but an appeal to the general public to put a stop to animal cruelty and, particularly, to the seal hunt which began anew in 1996 after the collapse of the Canadian cod fishery.

      Though many readers will enjoy the book's photographs, its advanced vocabulary limits its usefulness to only the best readers in an elementary school setting.

Recommended with reservations.