Tsimshian storyteller and artist Roy Henry Vickers shares an adventure from his childhood in the Indigenous village of Kitkatla, on B.C.'s north coast.

When Uncle Johnny accidentally catches an orphaned sea lion pup in his fishing net, young Roy and his cousin Bussy take responsibility for nursing the tiny creature back to health. They name the pup Ben, short for Teeben — the Tsimshian word for sea lion. With the boys' loving care, Ben eats and eats and grows and grows, getting up to all sorts of fun in Kitkatla, including towing the boys in their skiff and showing local dogs who is boss! Eventually, Ben must return to the wild, leaving his human friends to remember him fondly.

Fifteen original illustrations by Roy Henry Vickers accompany the text, capturing the beauty of the West Coast and the richness of village life. Ben the Sea Lion will delight readers of all ages. (From Harbour Publishing)

Ben the Sea Lion is for ages 3 to 5.

Roy Henry Vickers is a B.C.-based carver, painter and printmaker. He is the co-author of the popular children's Northwest Coast Legends series: Raven Brings the Light in 2014, Cloudwalker in 2015, Orca Chief in 2016 and Peace Dancer in 2017.