Sometimes, just sometimes, a human being and a wild animal make a special connection that changes both of their lives. So it was with Rockport, Maine’s Harry Goodridge and the harbor seal pup he named Andre. The two became inseparable, though the seal was free to come and go as he pleased. (His floating enclosure in the harbor simply minimized his presence in skiffs owned by yachtsmen, who complained about his sunbathing in their dinghies.)


Andre proved as gregarious as Harry, learning tricks that delighted dozens of visitors each day. The harbor seal soon became a legend, migrating south to Massachusetts each winter (whether under his own power or, as he grew older, by truck) and returning to Rockport each spring (with his progress being reported by the national news media).


Here, with the help of the Goodridge family, author Fran Hodgkins and muralist/illustrator Yetti Frenkel retell the story of Harry and Andre for young children, who can still visit Rockport Harbor and run their hands over the polished granite of the life-size statue that will forever ensure this seal’s presence in Maine history.