Gary the Seagull

Gary the Seagull is a lighthearted story about a seagull who just wants to sneak a little bit of lunch on a hot beach day. He tries and tries but keeps being chased away by children. He picks one boy in particular and decides to try all of the tricks he can think of in order to get some of the boy’s food, including donning a police costume and a food inspector’s costume and pretending to be the boy’s father and mother, but each time the boy doesn’t fall for Gary’s scheme and chases the seagull away. Finally, Gary reasons with the kid, saying that, if the boy will give him a bit of his lunch willingly, then he’ll leave and won’t come back. The boy agrees, sharing his chips, watermelon and part of a sandwich, and Gary files away happily. The little boy is finally able to eat in peace, only to turn and see all the other seagulls on the beach heading his way.

A fun and amusing book, Gary the Seagull might make a good bedtime story for kids. There isn’t an overarching message or lesson; rather, it’s an easy read that would be enjoyable for most kids. There are some bigger words that could make it useful for grade school-age children who are practicing reading. The bright and bold cartoon style illustrations depict all the colours that one would see at the beach. The wider beach scenes also show a diversity in the people who are there.