The Dawn Seal

Holly Webb's The Dawn Seal is a gentle animal story for 7 year olds about a summer on a houseboat and a very unexpected visitor in the river.

What happens

Lissa's parents split up a few years ago. Now her dad has moved onto a big blue Dutch barge called Rose Dawn, an hour's drive away, and Lissa is spending the whole summer holidays with him.

She's a bit nervous about it at first. But the boat is a lovely surprise (her cabin has a high bunk with a sofa tucked underneath!) and the river is full of ducklings, swans and boats of every shape. Dad has promised trips into London and a paddleboarding lesson together.

Then, on the third day of the holidays, he takes on a last-minute work job and forgets about paddleboarding altogether. Lissa goes on her own.

Who hasn't felt that sinking feeling when a grown-up is too busy? Lissa doesn't make a fuss, but you can feel how much it stings. It's handled very gently, and you understand Dad's side too (the boat cost a lot, and he can't turn work down).

At the lesson she meets Alfie, who lives on a houseboat down the river and has a new baby brother who screams all the time. They fall into friendship almost by accident, wobbling and splashing on their boards. And then, in a shady side channel, they spot a smooth round head and two big dark eyes watching them from the water...

It's a baby seal, lost and far up the river. Lissa is desperate to do something. But how do you help a wild creature who could dive out of sight at any moment?

Holly Webb is so good at the small everyday feelings. Missing Mum and baby sister Zoe, wanting Dad to herself, making a friend when you weren't expecting to. It all feels very real, wrapped up in a cosy river world that will make your reader want to live on a boat.

If you've got a reader who adores animals and a quieter kind of adventure, this is just right. It could be a comfort, too, for a child who splits their time between two homes.

What to read next

If they'd like another summer by the water, try The Frightened Puppy. Avery is on holiday in a cottage right by a river when she spots a tiny brown puppy alone in the reeds.