Stanley Seagull

Children's Book With a Message

"There were not any real "stand-out" parts in this book for me. I liked that for each page you read, you got to see two really neat pictures. Since I was reading on a Kindle, the pictures were in black and white, but I still enjoyed them. I believe this book would appeal to children younger than I am because it was very easy for me to read. The most exciting part about this book is that it was the first book I ever read on my very own Kindle! This is also the first review I ever wrote!"

Submitted by my eight-year-old daughter

This book was provided free to me in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100 percent mine.

Great message~!!

Stanley Seagull is a children's picutre eBook.

Stanley lives at the beach. Flying over the ocean, smelling the salty air and living the high life.

Stanley loves the beach. He loves the people who frequent the shorelines and piers. They often have delicious food and they are known to drop it or throw it away. Popcorn, small fish and grubs and the trash left over from restaurants is a seagull's culinary delight.

One day Stanley's cousin, Seymour, let's Stanley in on a secret and takes him to the garbage truck loading sight. He warns Stanley that when he shouts it's time to go, then Stanley had better not ask any questions and do as he is told.

However, Stanley is absolutely delighted to have such a fine feast laid before him that he fails to hear the call and has been caught inside the garbage truck. When he finally escapes, he has no idea where he is nor how he will ever get back to the ocean, which he learns is over a 100 miles away.

Stanley meets Walter who tries to convince Stanley that life isn't so bad where is now is and maybe he should get used to it. Stanley cannot live without his ocean and vows to find it again. Will Stanley ever return to his beloved beach or will he be doomed to live so far away from home?

I thought the story was kind of cute. Stanley's greed got the better of him and he ended up in a sticky situation and has to use his wits to solve his dilemma. The books is 32 pages long in eBook format and many of the pages don't have words upon their pages, making this an easy read for young children to listen and follow along with.

The illustrations were done in a paint washed look. The definition of the characters isn't as sharp as they could have been; given them an almost super-imposed look. I wasn't as impressed with the artwork as with the story. There isn't much in appeal to the colours being used nor the overall effect. Some of the back ground pictures are amateurish in their rendering.

Stanley is a likeable seagull. He leads a carefree life and his only real concern is with food. I liked how he didn't give up when the odds were against him. As far as morals to stories go, I'm positive Stanley's adventure will help him curb his greedy appetite and make sure he pays attention to his surroundings at all times.

Simple Story + Eco Message = Winning Read

It's a colorful story and eco message all rolled into one without the heavy handedness in delivery that can sometimes be felt with books along similar lines. The story focuses on seagulls and how they get their food from that which is left behind by us, the occasional swan dive to an unwatched grill and...garbage trucks. Of course, these are not the places they SHOULD be getting their nutrition from but such is the world today. When learning about the finer points of gourmet garbage dining from his cousin Seymour, poor Stanley is left behind as he gorges on all the delectable refuse in the truck. How was he suppose to know what his cousin's warning about dining and running meant? So begins an adventure that will take our high flying friend far from home and his beloved ocean.


The story though short in length packs a decent punch, incorporating elements that will attract young readers as well as those more seasoned. The bright colors coupled with the range of scenery work hand in hand to illustrate what is transpiring as well as the drastic difference between the world we could have and the world we create. Speaking of that artwork, it brings to mind art galleries as opposed to you average drawings. You can see the brush strokes to a degree and it gives the allusion of true depth when looking at the deep blue ocean that Stanley loves so much...and according to the illustrator's bio, that's about dead on for the medium as she generally uses watercolor and pastel.


All in all, a title to be shared in story, visuals and message with readers of all ages....it's never too early to instill a love of conservation in the next generation...nor too late to pick up the habits that will help us save the world of tomorrow today.

Adorable Stanley Learns Lessons

Dear Stanley is the cutest seagull ever! His book is fun to read and has lots of pictures to keep young ones' imaginations going while you read to them. I was even able to read "Stanley..." over Skype to my grandson, and he loved it!


The story of a kindly, but young seagull, "Stanley.." will warm the hearts of little ones while teaching (in a gentle way) the lessons of home and heeding the advice of others. Stanley is caught up in a "situation" where his impulse to get what he wants; i. e., more food, overcomes his caution and the warning of his friend. He grabs more food from a trash truck only to become trapped and carried off a long way from home--to a landfill before he knows it! At the landfill he learns about how humans are affecting the environment.


Scared and very far from home, poor Stanley realizes his mistake in not listening to his friend's warning. Or, put another way; he learns that for every action, there's a reaction...for bad or for worse, and in this case it's worse because he is not home; not near his beautiful beach!


A wise old seagull, Walter, helps Stanley, and from him Stanley learns how to get back home. Dear Stanley recognizes that there really is no place like his home, and he learns others just might be able to share wise advice he could learn from.


I loved this little book. It's just right for children who are learning impulse control, listening to teachers and parents for guidance, and understanding about our environment. The pictures are so darling. They visually support Stanley's feelings throughout.


All in all, "Stanley the Seagull" is a bright new book for children, one that is fun to read to them and one that has a messages they might easily take in.

quite an adventure

A bit of seagull living is relayed in this children's tale. Quite an adventure is told with Stanley in pursuit of food. But Stanley fares well with some help.

Awesome book for children, and lessons for adults too!

My Review

As I was reading this book I thought about how much most kids are like Stanley Seagull. By not listening, they find themselves in trouble and have no idea how to get out of it. With Stanley, he was so excited when his friend introduced him to the garbage truck because there was so much food there, he could eat all he wanted and still have more to eat. What he didn't know was, if he didn't listen to his friends warning, he would be taken far, far away from his home and the ocean.

This really has a lesson for adults too. Isn't that was satan does to us with sin? He tells how good it is, but doesn't tell the consequences.

This is an awesome book for young children. The illustrations are amazing, and a child can read the story himself by the expressions on the faces of the seagulls, and the details in the pictures. The color's are beautiful, and gives you the ocean feel. I think this story will capture the young reader's attention because they will be sad for Stanley and want to see him find his home.

Thanks to Tribute books for providing an e-copy of this book for me to read and review. I was not required or expected to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.