Sealed with a Kiss

A French seal arrives at a new zoo, expecting friendship from her fellow zoo residents. But "no one came to meet her, to greet her, to shower her with kisses." After a sparrow kisses Seal to her delight, Seal goes right up to Rhino, Panda, Kangaroo, Kookaburra, and Caribou, kissing and cuddling them. "We've been slobbered!" Kangaroo says. Seal, it seems, smells like sardines. When Seal realizes she is unwanted, she retreats--and the other animals make amends with a kind missive: "We sealed this with a lick/ 'Cause our kisses wouldn't stick." Bright, charming illustrations by Tallec integrate laugh-out-loud slapstick humor into a story about fitting in, but Seal's phony French accent falls flat, and the idea that "besmooched" animals should apologize for reacting negatively to unwanted touches is dubious. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

PreS-Gr 2--This picture book is about a seal who arrives at a national zoo from a small zoo in Franc. She tries to make friends by kissing all the other zoo animals with her sardine breath. When Snow Leopard tells her the truth, "You stink," Seal stops and returns home alone. When a sparrow reminds the animals that friendship entails empathy, forgiveness, and kindness, they decide to compromise and start again over a meal of peppermint shrimp and a different kind of kiss. Tallec's acrylic, pencil, and charcoal illustrations are set in an outdoor zoo in the summer. They feature common and uncommon zoo animals (baboons, kookaburra, rhino), all with big, round eyes, and cute features. Their exaggerated reactions to the kisses are expressed on their faces and in their behaviors. VERDICT A fun story which takes a sensitive topic and deals with it using humorous art and practical solutions.--Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta.