Andre the Famous Harbor Seal

by Fran Hodgkins

Sometimes, just sometimes, a human being and a wild animal make a special connection that changes both of their lives. So it was with Rockport, Maine's Harry Goodridge and the harbor seal pup he named Andre. The two became inseparable, though the seal was free to come and go as he pleased. (His floating enclosure in the harbor simply minimized his presence in skiffs owned by yachtsmen, who complained about his sunbathing in their dinghies.)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Fran Hodgkins always loved nature and science, and loved writing as well, so it seemed only logical that she would grow up to write about science and nature for children. Her first book, The Orphan Seal, received the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award from the ASPCA. Her book How People Learned to Fly is an exemplar in the Common Core ELA standards.

Fran has written more than 20 books for young readers. Her most recent, The Secret Galaxy, came out in October 2014 from Tilbury House Publishers.

Fran lives in Midcoast Maine.

Reviews

[laura]

Read this to my little sister thought I'd add it to my goal 🤷‍♀️ super cute book

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations were beautiful however the true story it is based on rubbed me the wrong way. Basically, this guy robs a baby harbor seal from his mom and keeps it in a bathtub and lets it go for a swim in the ocean sometimes. He teaches it tricks, etc. I know things were different then but still…really? Couldn’t he find an injured one to rescue instead of completely changing the habits of a healthy one? Ugg. Apparently, this guy is the reason there are now laws against this.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story that documents the special relationship between a seal and a man on the New England coastline. The book has great illustrations and an engaging storyline that, although somewhat lengthy, even kept my 3 year old interested.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story. I remember watching a movie about this seal, but this book is obviously much truer to the actual life of Andre. I appreciated it for its honest portrayal of Andre and Harry Goodridge, the harbor master that cared for him. It was a very nice book.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this but the art and writing really fell flat to me. A shame because it is such a lovely, true story. Maybe someone will redo the job better someday.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet true story of a man and his pet seal, that he allowed to journey in the wild every year with the other seals.

[Laura Komos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book, especially after visiting the Rockport area and Andre's statue!