"It's Saturday on the coast of Maine. Nothing seems unusual, on this side of the seawall. Making the most of a winter thaw, we set out for our morning walk. As we cut across the rocky shore, we spot something extraordinary..."
When Dexxy the gray seal pup came ashore in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, during a winter storm in 2023, a Facebook post shared by the local police garnered him national and international attention.
A Seal Named Sunshine
tells the story of the
other,
less-famous gray seal pup that was released along with Dexxy three months later. She is named, fittingly, Sunshine.
In this firsthand account with hand-drawn illustrations, Terry Perkins Mitman tells Sunshine's
story, from her quiet discovery just beyond the seawall in the author's front yard, through her rescue and rehabilitation under round-the-clock care from Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME), to her eventual release back to the sea. This uplifting tale also offers vital information about stranded seal care-especially what to do and what
not
to do. The story concludes with a photo gallery of Sunshine and informational pages about MMoME.
is a reminder of the delicate balance, gritty resilience, and deep joy to be found and nurtured in the world we all share.