Selik & Katrine

Here's an ideal choice for people looking for great family viewing. The story concerns a Norwegian teenager, Katrine, and her summer job collecting specimens for a seaquarium. We learn in a flashback that the previous summer she rescued an abandoned seal pup whom she named Selik (see Summer With Selik, [VL-9/94]), raising him in her home and releasing him at the end of summer. Now Selik returns to visit Katrine. While she is thrilled, she worries about him being shot by commercial lobstermen who suspect seals of reducing their catch. After studying offshore seal colonies, Katrine determines that the darling young seal must be returned to his own kind. The tape provides many good examples for children (Katrine must make a difficult decision, going against her own wishes to consider what's best for the animal). Despite this being a story of nature and lovable creatures, it is far from sentimental: the cruel realities of life in the wild are not sugar-coated. Throw in some truly funny footage of Selik scooting across the floors in Katrine's house, and unbelievably clear underwater videography, and you get a real winner. The title will appeal to a wide cross-section of ages, and school librarians should be aware that there's a great deal of scientific information provided on marine biology here. Highly recommended. Aud: E, I, J, P. (R. Reagan)