Product Description

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.)

Andre proved as gregarious as Harry, learning tricks that delighted dozens of visitors each day. The harbor seal soon became a legend, migrating south to Massachusetts each winter (whether under his own power or, as he grew older, by truck) and returning to Rockport each spring (with his progress being reported by the national news media).

Here, with the help of the Goodridge family, author Fran Hodgkins and muralist/illustrator Yetti Frenkel retell the story of Harry and Andre for young children, who can still visit Rockport Harbor and run their hands over the polished granite of the life-size statue that will forever ensure this seal’s presence in Maine history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #432366 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-In 1961, Harry Goodridge, harbormaster of Rockport, ME, adopted a seal pup. In describing their relationship, Hodgkins takes readers through Andre's summers spent entertaining crowds with his tricks; winters in the sea or at nearby aquariums; a life-threatening injury sustained in a fight with another seal; the unveiling of the life-sized statue of Andre that still stands in the harbor; and, in 1986, his death on a deserted beach and Goodridge's solitary journey to bring him home and bury him. The unvarnished approach to the telling makes the final moments of the account unexpectedly touching. Frenkel's light-filled, realistic color illustrations call to mind a more innocent time. An additional purchase.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"This is more than just a children's book about an animal. This is a story about connecting with nature." -- North Shore [Massachusetts] Sunday

About the Author
FRAN HODGKINS is a full-time book editor and a freelance writer whose stories and articles have appeared in such magazines as Writer’s Digest, Highlights for Children, Cat Fancy, and Boy’s Life. Fran is the author of numerous nonfiction books for children. She lives in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Present for my Primary Teacher Daughter
I bought the book and the DVD, both of which are unavailable in Australia after my daughter mentioned wanting to teach her students about Andre. So before I wrapped them up for Christmas I've taken the time to read the book and view the DVD and thoroughly enjoyed both. A true story for animal lovers of all ages. And now a story that will live on in the minds of all the students that are lucky enough to have my daughter as their teacher.

I can't stop crying.. somebody help me.
I just saw the video about this animal. I can't stop crying. I don't know if the animal understand anything but coming back to them 24 times every years is incredible. The last trip he made, he was blinded already. I can't imagine how strong his will was to come back. He must have felt strong that there are people waiting for him so he didn't lose his direction. I want to visit someday the town and see the statue.

Andre the famous harbour seal
It is heartwarming story which is true and the children love it....We visit Rockland every summer to visit the actual statue of Andre...A beautiful park setting on the rocky coast of Maine.....