Saving Young Seals

Story Published: Jul 6, 2012 at 9:49 AM PDT

What should you do if you find a seal pup on a Northwest beach? Leave it alone! Chances are good it's just resting. Brenda Peterson, author of the new book Leopard & Silkie, joined us to share the amazing first-hand story of the vulnerable baby seals that are left on shore while their mothers hunt for food, and the concerned volunteers who keep vigil over them. The star of the book is six year old Miles, who organizes his own rescue mission to help the seals survive.

Featuring beautiful photographs of the seal pups and their natural habitat by Robin Lindsey, and with its emphasis on human compassion, this true account teaches children to appreciate the natural world by helping in any way they can.

Book Signing for Leopard & Silkie
Saturday, July 7 at 11:00am
Powell's City of Books, 1005 West Burnside, Portland

For more information on the book and Seal Sitters, visit the website.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

"Common Ground" NPR Interview with Brenda Peterson by KUOW's Dave Beck

Dear Readers.

Here's a link to my new NPR interview with host/producer Dave Beck on "KUOW Presents" about my memoir and my new picture book, Leopard and Silkie: One Boy's Quest to Save the Seal Pups. It's 7 minutes long but the culmination of three hours of interviews.

It's one of the most elegantly crafted and narrated interviews. Dave expertly tells my story as narrator and I'm a character in it. Fascinating and in-depth process that makes other Q&A interviews seem one-dimensional. I hope you enjoy it. We recorded it on my backyard beach. At the beginning and end of our interview a mature bald eagle flew right over us. Like a benediction.

Thanks for listening!

Here's the link:

http://kuow.org/program.php?id=27197

KUOW's Dave Beck speaks with Seattle author Brenda Peterson at the site where Brenda began the nonprofit organization Seal Sitters. (Photo: Robin Lindsey)

Brenda Peterson: Finding Common Ground

Dave Beck
06/30/2012 ShareThis

It's sometimes difficult to engage in conversation with people whose beliefs are very different from your own. But Brenda Peterson, a West Seattle author and environmentalist, has found a place on a local beach where she can have those conversations. It's a sanctuary for Brenda where she finds connection with creatures of all kinds. And it's the place where she founded the nonprofit Seal Sitters a few years ago.

Seal Sitters is a volunteer organization that watches after seal pups that show up on Puget Sound beaches. Brenda Peterson speaks with KUOW's Dave Beck. Her new children's book, based on her experiences with Seal Sitters, is called "Leopard and Silkie."