Book Review of Brotherly Love: A Seemore the Seagull Tale
Sponsored | All opinions are our own
The Children’s Book Review

Written by Ralph E. Tufo

Illustrated by Jory Mason

Ages 4-12 | 33 Pages

Publisher: Leaning Rock Press | ISBN-13: 9781950323678

What to Expect: Family, overcoming adversity, inclusivity, disability

From the clam toss to the loudest shriek competition, seagull field day is all about having fun in the beautiful seaside weather. Seemore and Sydney are enjoying the seagull field day – especially when each seagull brother wins a prize. However, coastal weather can be treacherous, and the day after the games, a hurricane hits the coast, sinking boats, flooding houses, and smashing Sydney against the beach wall. With his wing broken, Sydney no longer feels like the hero who won the foot race the day before. What is the point of a seagull who can’t fly? Seemore and their friends are there to remind him – what you can do does not define who you are.

Using evocative rhyming text, this lovely story about disability and inclusion shares the important message that finding a fulfilling purpose in life is always possible. The narrative demonstrates inclusive behavior that empowers rather than patronizes individuals with disabilities while promoting the role of family and community in overcoming adversity. Soft pencil illustrations capture the quirky personalities of these seabirds and bring the seaside to life with color and movement, while a set of photographs at the end of the book help situate the story in a real-life location of great natural beauty.

Overall, Brotherly Love: A Seemore the Seagull Tale is heartwarming, instructive, and beautiful to look at.

Buy the Book

About the Author

In addition to writing Brotherly Love and Seemore the Seagull, Ralph Tufo has written several short plays, over 50 songs, and 3 full-length musicals. The Katrina Roadhouse musical is about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The musical comedy I’d Rather Be Lucky than Good is about golf, fate, and friendship, and Beyond the Blues is a Zoom Production recorded in 2021 about the power of music in overcoming life’s difficulties.

Ralph’s had several staged readings of plays at the following venues: North Shore Community College, Internal Matter in South Boston, and the Community Church of Boston. His play Wrong Place, Right Time was produced at the Boston Playwright’s Platform Festival and at the Saugus Theater Company’s staged readings.

Ralph is a retired college professor and has been a professional musician for over 35 years. His band, the Squeezebox Stompers, tours throughout New England. He has released 11 CD recordings and his bands have received four Boston Music Awards. Ralph is a board member of the Boston-based Playwright’s Platform.

To view the Squeezebox Stompers’ video of their sea chantey, Seemore the Seagull, log on to www.squeezeboxstompers.com. Click on the Seemore the Seagull tab at the top of the website to see
the video along with a copy of the song’s lyrics and chords.

For more information, visit http://ellasway.com/ralph-tufo-author.html and https://www.facebook.com/seemoretheseagull.

Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored, non-biased review of Brotherly Love: A Seemore the Seagull Tale. Learn more about getting a book review …