Surprisingly unproblematic! And in fact, good mental grist for the budding environmentalist. I love the pictures in this edition, Kotick following the Sea Cow through geometric otherdimensionscapes. For little kids the "skins of dead seals" thing may be too visceral, but they gotta be able to handle the way of the world even if they choose to reject it, and by the way, you shoulda seen my five-year-old niece comfort her mumma when their budgie died last night. "It's not the end of the world, Mumma." That's the strength that comes from pumping your children's stories up with the muscle of the empire builder, as Kipling knew. Tough kids. Kids capable of trampling the Hun into the mud!

Nah, but that's why it's so nice that this one is anti-imperial excess, more or less. If the Afghans and the Boers had had a leader as bully as Kotick they'd've been as safe from exploitation as the, um, seals are? Okay, but it's a morally immaculate fable. With manatees. ( )

A white seal, Kotick, sees his fellow seals being hunted and killed by men and decides to do something about it. He searches for a long time to find a safe, sheltered beach where they can live without men being able to reach them. When he tries to get his tribe of seals to move they mock him and he has to fight them. At its core, it's a story about doing something brave when everyone tells you that you can't do it. He refuses to accept things as they are and instead searches for a better life and succeeds. ( )