Sammy the Seal: (I Can Read Book Series: Level 1) » (Unabridged CD with Music and Special Eff)

Syd Hoff was born and raised in New York City. He studied at the National Academy of Design and sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker when he was eighteen. He eventually became one of the most original and beloved authors and illustrators of children's books. Mr. Hoff wrote more than fifty books for children, including the I Can Read titles Danny and the Dinosaur, Oliver, and Sammy the Seal.

Sammy the Seal spends a day on the town and finds out what really goes on outside the zoo on an average day. But when Sammy the Seal makes his way down the streeet, an ordinary day becomes an extraordinary adventure as he searches high and low for just the right place to swim nad learns how to read and write in school. Children can listen to and read along with this favorite character, now available in audio for the first time.

About the Author:
Syd Hoff is the well-known author and illustrator of many I Can Read Books, including the Danny and the Dinosaur series. Mr. Hoff lives in Miami, FL.

Children's Literature

Syd Hoff's classic was one of the original "And I Can Read Book," and it still works its magic on toddlers and learning readers alike. There is something very endearing about Sammy's desire to see the world;his wide-eyed exploration of it;his ability to learn to read—and write his name—after only one day in school;and his satisfaction in returning home to his pool in the zoo after a full day of adventures, his curiosity sated. Sammy becomes the child in all of us. We want our adventures, but isn't it wonderful to have a home to return to? Hoff's simple words convey these feelings just right, and his colorful 1950s-style illustrations still work. This recent repackaging of the book includes an audiotape read with fulsome importance—offset by jaunty background music. But the original book still stands on its own. 2000 (orig. 1959), HarperChildren's Audio, $14.95. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer:Kathleen Karr