Our Story Follows the life cycle of Schnider, a harp seal, from his birth on the ice floes off the northeast coast of Newfoundland.

Through Schnider’s eyes young readers learn about his weaning and maturing, the melting of the field of drift ice where he was born, his explorations, adventures and close calls in the search for food along the Newfoundland coast and, eventually, to the feeding grounds of Lancaster Sound and back again.

Schnider is joined by two other books about marine life: Selby the Lobster and Selina: An Atlantic Salmon, also by Don Downer and Gisele LeBlanc-Turner.

This book follows one fish as she develops from a tiny pink egg into a full-grown salmon. Selina explores the place she was born so it is imprinted in her brain so she can return to the same river tributary to lay her eggs. She has a narrow escape from becoming food for other, larger fish, birds, eels and even humans. Don Downer is chair of the Aquatic Centre for Research and Education, is involved with the Fish Friends school program, sponsored by the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and does contract work relating to salmon for Fisheries and Oceans.