Seb and the Sun

by Jami Gigot

Nominee, Ezra Jack Keats Award

Seb is determined to find some light for his sleepy coastal town. It is so far north, the sun does not shine in winter and the days are cold, dreary, and dark as night. So Seb embarks on a mission to find the sun. Along with his friend Walrus, he makes a plan, collects supplies, and rows far out to sea. Will Seb be able to find the sun and bring its light and warmth back to his town?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Animals, Nature, 2nd Grade

36 pages, Hardcover

Published March 20, 2018

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this tale of a young boy who lives in the far, far north, and his attempts to bring a little sunshine to his area of the world during a cold, and seemingly endless winter..

The author's illustrations are both wonderful and unusual.





AND, best book EVER about a boy and his pet walrus!

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fanciful story about a little boy who lives in the far north. During the winter, it's dark, and Seb has to play in the darkness. He wants to bring some light into the gloom, so he comes up with a plan. With his friend Walrus, he takes some supplies (including honey sandwiches; who knew walruses liked those?) and heads out to sea in a rowboat, determined to catch some sunlight.

The story here is simple, and there's not a lot of text. The pictures really steal the show, though. They're dark, and yet playful at the same time. You can almost feel you're in this northern place, with the auroras overhead and darkness surrounding you. When Seb finally finds his sunlight, the illustrations are infused with a gentle glow of warmth that brightens the lives of his friends, neighbours, and family.

I don't think I've read a book with a setting like this before, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I don't know that a child could actually have a walrus for a friend, but it's not like you can capture sunlight in a bottle, either. Sometimes it's best not to overthink these sorts of books.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations and the mystical magical setting -- and who wouldn't want a pet walrus!

I stumbled a bit wondering what exactly was it that Seb pulled from the ocean? Total fantasy magic? Glowing sea creatures? It left me more perplexed than satisfied -

[Karla Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

SEB AND THE SUN is the delightful adventure of a young boy who sets out to find the sun after a long winter spell. But this is not just any adventure; at its heart, this is a tale of love and the importance of community, it is a testament to the power of hope. Seb's pursuit may be a magical one, but children will easily relate to the great courage it takes to believe in the impossible. In addition, the artwork in this book is as moving and magical as the text, sure to delight readers young and old.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book about a boy who saw a need for something, went searching for what would help, and brought it back to share with people.

My favorite line: "The townspeople marveled at their warm bottles of sunshine".

Glossy and realistic illustrations give enough detail to be really interesting without overwhelm.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple story, beautiful illustrations!

[Alex Richey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, THAT'S relatable.

[BrookesEducationLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an Oliver Jeffers feel to this heart-warming adventure book with a young boy in search of some sunshine :)

[Kristina Jean Lareau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Tara Luebbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This illustrations in this book are beautiful. I felt like I was in a cold arctic town while looking at this. The MC is a boy who has a Walrus BF who go in search of the sun. The story is sweet and has a feel a bit like an Oliver Jeffers book like Lost, or The Moose Belongs to Me. A good follow up to Mae and the Moon, the author's previous book.

[Katelyn Aronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a touch of HYGGE (happiness/coziness) to light long, wintry evenings. A perfect bedtime book for little ones and for anyone who wants to be transported to the far North while snuggling beneath the covers. I fell in love with Seb, his walrus sidekick, and their quest to restore a bit of light to their arctic community. Jami Gigot revisits an age-old theme in a brand-new way and graces it with glowing illustrations. To me, Seb and the Sun has all the makings of a classic.

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had a neat setting (a northern community) and a neat premise (the idea that it's not so much the cold of winter but the darkeness that's a drag) but I don't feel like it really delivered. I felt like the attempts at whimsy were at odds with the dark setting and images. And there were a few moments that felt a bit too precious to me (the friendship with the walrus, the honey sandwiches). But I think my biggest issue is just with this type of book where it doesn't go so far to be magic realism, but it is like, mundane stuff plus fantasy. I don't know what I'm supposed to take from it and am left wondering what the point of the book was rather than being immersed in the story. Also, while I thought it was a unique idea to do these dark, shortest day of the year images, it was a bit of a loss too. The book was just dark, visually and it was hard to tell what was happening. But I think the illustrator was really talented and did something great with the challenge of this book. And even though I didn't GET them, the bottles of sunshine were sweet and their warmth came right off the page. My three year old seemed indifferent to this book, no complaints, but not much enthusiasm.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy, Seb, wants so much to bring light to his far north town on the coast. The sun never shines in winter and the days are dark and dreary -- The illustrations show it’s cold, too in multiple grays, with touches of green. It’s clever to see the varied kinds of artificial light in the story, like miners’ lights on their heads, one lown lamp outside a building, and lit windows. Seb has an idea, asks for help and gets rope, yarn, fishing line and a bucket, then begins his mission with friend Walrus. What happens is fantastical, but oh what joy is shown in Jami Gigot’s illustrations. You will see when you read it.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was mesmerized by the illustrations. They really gave this simple story a depth that settled deeply into my heart. The setting is original...way up north where the days are entirely dark some of the year. Gigot creates the sense of community simply and magically with so few words. That was the magic of this book for me. Although I think Seb’s plan to bring sunlight was nice, I didn’t get that everyone in town was longing so much for it, so his motivation didn’t feel as well founded as it could have been. Beautiful book, though,

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy who lives far north (in an unspecified place?) wants to bring sunshine back to his neighbors during the winter. He rows out with a walrus friend and catches the sun in a bucket, bringing it back in glass containers for his friends. The grey illustrations (and later illustrations with the soft yellow light) were very atmospheric. There was a story jump for me when he catches the sun in a bucket, because one second he throws the bucket (no sun in sight), and the next second the bucket is hurtling way further than he threw it and caught the sunlight miles away. An original concept, though.

[Derick Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a delightful follow-up to Mae and the Moon, author-illustrator Jami Gigot once again takes us on a magical visual journey. The richness of the text and illustration brings the iciness of Seb’s hometown to life on the pages. His subsequent quest with Walrus, his trusty companion, is an adventure filled with understated beauty. And Seb’s only-a-child-could-think-of-it solution will surely warm readers’ hearts.

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part fantasy, part realistic fiction, this is a funny little story which brings sweetness and light. The illustrations are well-suited to the tale, but because it's about a place enveloped in darkness, they are... quite dark and sometimes difficult to make out. They did a decent job with printing so that they could be fairly distinguishable without floodlamps, but it's still going to make me recommend this as more of a one-on-one read with a kid or two than in a storytime with a group.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has a book dealing with the the moon and now Seb and his quest to see the sun more from his dark seaside village. He befriends a walrus and they look for the sun together. Fun read aloud to children who don't live in villages by the northern sea with little sunshine and northern lights.
This ties in with studies of the moon and sun and science in the core curriculum and a story that is endearing. Who wouldn't want a walrus for a companion?

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I finished this and said to myself, what the heck?! I read it a couple of times and I love it more each time. The art is brilliant! Seb lives in his far north community where the sun disappears in the winter. Tired of the dark, Seb and his walrus friend set out in a rowboat to bring some sun back home.
These days with Greta Thunberg inspiring the planet to do better, Seb’s story of accomplishing the impossible feels just right.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Finding treasures in the dark, at a deserted beach.
* Eating honey sandwiches with your good friend Walrus.
* Greeting Mrs. Vandermuss, who knits furiously by a roaring fire.

These are just some of the unforgettable moments in this treasure chest of a book by Jami Gigot.

She's accomplished as a narrator, an artist-illustrator, and a guide to the most extraordinary adventures... via this magnificent picture book.

And oh, what an ending. (Not that I'll do a spoiler, no no!)

[Iqra Fiaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming story about a young boy trying to find the sun. He wants to brighten up the dark winter days and nights in the hope that warmth will return to his town. The depth and detail of the illustrations highlight the hidden gems of the night, such as Aurora Borealis or, closer to home, the many faces of the moon. An overall enjoyable story.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 3-year-old nephew really enjoyed this book so we read it at least five times over a couple of days. We especially loved the contrast between the end papers, the throwing of the bucket, and walrus' love of sandwiches. :)

[Betsy Ellor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to contain in words how much I love this book. It is utterly unique: an original setting, original characters, original story. It addresses community and sharing in a heartwarming way that is not at all saccharine or moralistic. The book is well written but it is the way the writing is paired with wordless yet beautifully illustrated pages that really blew me away. Having read this in the middle of our New England 90 days of grey winter my son and I both were ready to paddle a boat out to find a bucket of sunshine for ourselves. Great for bedtime, great for story time, great for any time.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations in this gorgeous picture book, about a little boy, Seb, who lives up North with his Walrus. They miss the sun. So, they decide to go find some sunshine. The outcome was unexpected, but it's a nice, whimsical idea.

[Lynn A. Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seb missed the sun during the winter in his coastal home in the far north. He wondered if there was a way to bring sunshine home, so he and his walrus friend set out to try. An enjoyable story, beautifully illustrated.

[Kate Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about for days. Definitely worth checking out.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took my breath away... I very much feel like the town in the story could be Tromso (in Norway) and I love every sweet little character in Seb's village.

Just so lovely.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful storybook.

[Rob McGrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hypnotic and delightful. A real sweet tale of a little boy living far north where it's dark all day and his quest to capture the sun. Kids of all ages (even as old as me) would love.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet magical realism tale of a little boy with an inventive idea to solve the problem of winter darkness in the north. Not sure if it's quite the right pick for my storytime crowd. Ages 4-7.