Noah waits all day for Nana's boat to be ready so that they can go seal spotting. He waits and waits, and eventually takes matters into his own hands, building his very own seal out of sand - it's almost as good as the real thing. But it isn't long before a storm whips up, his seal is washed away, and Nana packs up ready to leave. Noah loses all hope that he'll ever spot a real-life seal, until something special happens.

Noah's Seal

Children's Books

Marlow, Layn

Literature & Fiction

OUP Oxford

Product Description Noah waits all day for Nana's boat to be ready so that they can go seal spotting. He waits and waits, and eventually takes matters into his own hands, building his very own seal out of sand - it's almost as good as the real thing. But it isn't long before a storm whips up, his seal is washed away, and Nana packs up ready to leave. Noah loses all hope that he'll ever spot a real-life seal, until something special happens. Review "The watercolor [ . . . ] will take viewers right to the beach with its dreamy setting and detailed, textured waves of the ocean. This would make for a good readaloud to match the mood for a hot summer day, but the language is easy enough for older kids to try on their own." ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"For those wistful for the seaside, Noah's Seal does not fail to enchant." ―The Telegraph About the Author Layn Marlow grew up in Essex. After studying history of art at Reading University, Layn began her career working for the library service. Later, she enrolled as a mature student at Southampton University and received a first class degree in illustration. Layn's beautiful picure books have sold over one million copies and been translated into over twenty languages.

How Many Sleeps?

Toast, a fieldmouse, is very excited about his birthday. 'How many sleeps is it now?' is his constant refrain. Each day seems to pass more slowly than the last for poor Toast - 'How many sleeps now?' he repeats.Together he and Mum begin all the exciting preparations, as his big day draws ever nearer.But Toast is not the only one ticking off the days. Dad is trying to make Toast a very special, very secret present, and time is running out. Will he make it in time? Are there enough sleeps left?

Education & Teaching

Stewart, Amber

Schools & Teaching

Oxford University Press

Toast, a fieldmouse, is very excited about his birthday. 'How many sleeps is it now?' is his constant refrain. Each day seems to pass more slowly than the last for poor Toast - 'How many sleeps now?' he repeats. Together he and Mum begin all the exciting preparations, as his big day draws ever nearer. But Toast is not the only one ticking off the days. Dad is trying to make Toast a very special, very secret present, and time is running out. Will he make it in time? Are there enough sleeps left?

You Make Me Smile

Today has something special in store―the first snow! The day begins with gray skies and a chill in the air, but soon soft blankets of white cover everything in sight. Hooray! With a warm hat and scarf, it's time to get out of the house and into the bright, white world. Soft illustrations follow a rosy-cheeked girl through the steps of building a snowman. His radish-red nose, shiny black eyes, and perfect smile will warm the hearts of readers.

Presenting a Picture Board Book perfect for babies and toddlers! An excellent platform for early learning, this sturdy, oversized board book features larger-than life illustrations in vibrant colors with large, easy-to-read text. In Birthday Countdown Toast’s birthday will be hear soon, and he can hardly stand the wait! Daddy experiences a different kind of birthday countdown. Will he be able to finish making Toast’s special present in time? Our Picture Board Book series features over 12 amazing titles that children will love to read over and over again! The oversized, sturdy format is perfect for little ones to play and learn with. Check out the other titles in this wonderful series!

Birthday Countdown

Humor

Gingham Dog Press

As Hare races through the day, poor Tortoise can barely keep up. But when it's time to bounce into bed, Hare is no longer in such a hurry. Hare loves to linger over every page and picture in their favorite book. After all, some things must not be rushed.

Hurry Up and Slow Down

Animals

Holiday House

Today has something special in store―the first snow! The day begins with gray skies and a chill in the air, but soon soft blankets of white cover everything in sight. Hooray! With a warm hat and scarf, it's time to get out of the house and into the bright, white world. Soft illustrations follow a rosy-cheeked girl through the steps of building a snowman. His radish-red nose, shiny black eyes, and perfect smile will warm the hearts of readers.

Science, Nature & How It Works

Product Description 
In a picture-perfect ode to the perfect day at the beach, a young boy experiences the joys of being left alone to play and dream at the edge of a wild sea.\nWaiting is hard. In a gentle multigenerational story that blurs the boundaries of real and imagined, Noah waits on shore while Nana fixes their sailboat. The boat will take them out to sea where the seals live, and Noah can hardly contain himself. In the meantime, he sculpts his own seal out of sand. Noah collects shells for the seal’s speckled back, spiky dune grass for whiskers, two shiny pebbles for eyes, and a smiling line of seaweed for a mouth. He lies beside his new friend to watch the rolling sea until a storm blows in and Noah must take cover. Later, he wonders: did his seal swim away? Readers will delight in pondering the mystery too in this sun-splashed book for young adventurers—an essential summer-vacation read. 
 Review 
This quiet, beautifully crafted gem of a book follows a boy who sits and waits 'at the edge of the wild wide sea' — 'as he did yesterday and the day before that' — for his Nana to fix their small boat. . . . What happens when a storm whips up and Noah must leave his seal is astonishing to behold. 
—The New York Times Book Review\nA day at the beach with Nana becomes an adventure when seals are involved. . . . With well-paced energy and a satisfying final spread, this sweet tale featuring a brown-skinned boy and his loving adult, a woman of color, turns a day at the beach into a magical experience. The fact that Noah and Nana have the beach all to themselves makes his imaginative play and intimacy with the natural world all the more potent. The textures and colors of the illustrations make each spread a delight to the eyes. Powerful in its sweet, childlike simplicity. 
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)\nPlace, action, and characters are closely observed in both the sensitive text and dynamic, dot-eyed human portrayals as soft washes of watercolor, paired with physical and digital collage, ground the natural setting. Noah’s wish is one that readers will share; watching as it is fulfilled in this sweet intergenerational narrative is a small, satisfying pleasure. 
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)\nThe watercolor in this UK import will take viewers right to the beach with its dreamy setting and detailed, textured waves of the ocean. This would make for a good readaloud to match the mood for a hot summer day, but the language is easy enough for older kids to try on their own. 
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 
 About the Author 
Layn Marlow has illustrated numerous picture books, including the My First Milestones series by Amber Stewart, and is the creator of 
You Make Me Smile and other books for the very young. She lives in the United Kingdom.

Candlewick

The other witches call Willa "cowardly custard" because she is frightened by so many things, but when her beloved cat Kitch runs away and finds himself in real danger, Willa's bravery saves the day.

Witch With a Twitch

Tiger Tales

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Marlow, Layn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Marlow, Layn

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Marlow, Layn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Noah's Seal

Noah's Seal

How Many Sleeps?

How Many Sleeps?

You Make Me Smile

Birthday Countdown

Hurry Up and Slow Down

You Make Me Smile

Noah's Seal

Witch With a Twitch