Kekeno, Curious Explorer product reviews

Children have a particular unmistakeable reaction when they see certain things: it is that special "Awwww" sound that they make when the item in front of them is just too cute to describe in words. It is not said so much as sung, and even teenagers have been known to do this when confronted with an especially appealing baby - whether human or animal. It even happens sometimes when the object is a fluffy toy. The description "cuteness overload" was invented just for these occasions.

And that is what happened when Mr Seven and Miss Eight saw "Kekeno" for the first time. Ned Barraud's seal pup illustration on the front cover is adorable. Although I had thought Miss Eight might be too old for the book since it was aimed more at younger children, she was just as smitten as her little brother, so he had to share it! Both children wanted to give the pup a big cuddle, even though the book does stress that you should never touch a seal. This was, of course, before either of them had so much as opened the book.

Last summer, the children had stayed on Banks Peninsula where they were quite close to a seal colony and were able to spot many pups. Hours were spent watching the babies play in the bay and sunbathe on the rocks. This experience meant that the book was relevant to them, bringing back happy memories of their holiday. Mr Seven had a wonderful time reading the book and finding out more about seals. When he took a break, Miss Eight had her turn and, being older, she appreciated the extra comments that appeared at the bottom of some pages. She also liked the Background and Fur Seal Facts that were included at the end of the book; as yet those sections are too complicated for Mr Seven, but she was able to access them without difficulty. She was also able to follow the hyperlink to find out more.

Mr Seven loved the story, reading it several times before bed each night as he followed Kekeno's journey. He was upset when Kekeno's mother shooed him away, and worried when he saw the shark, but all ended well. The funniest part for him was the idea of Kekeno coming into a house and having a nap on the couch; he told everyone that he would love it if a seal pup came to have a lie down at his house!

On different levels, the story had something for everyone. The children's parents had no idea that fur seals had been so prolific before they were hunted by humans. While the vocabulary was aimed at youngsters of Mr Seven's age, the story and the factual information would appeal to older children and adults, and the pace was sufficiently varied to maintain interest for the reader.