Stories from the sea

Wonder washes in with every tide.

Two books from marine biologist Paul L. Sieswerda — tender, true accounts of the whales and seals that share our shores, illustrated and told with a lifetime of love for the deep.

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Big Whale, Big City by Paul L. Sieswerda
A Seal in the Bathtub by Paul L. Sieswerda
The Books

Two true stories from a life with the sea

Each book is a window into marine life — one from the wild harbor of New York City, the other from a quiet bathtub in Boston. Together, they invite readers of every age to fall in love with the ocean.

Big Whale, Big City
Featured Title

Big Whale, Big City

by Paul L. Sieswerda  ·  illustrated by Joy S. Reidenberg, Ph.D.

Meet Jerry — a humpback whale whose journey mirrors the astonishing return of humpbacks to the waters of New York City. For the first time in a century, these gentle giants are feeding and breaching within sight of the Manhattan skyline, and Jerry's story is the story of all of them.

With lyrical writing and anatomically true illustrations, this children's picture book teaches young readers about a whale's life, how humpbacks feed, the challenges they face, and why the ocean around the world's greatest city has become a new home for the largest animals on earth.

FormatHardcover
Ages5 – 10
CategoryNature · Picture Book
ISBN978-1947239395
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A Seal in the Bathtub
Companion Title

A Seal in the Bathtub

by Paul L. Sieswerda

Before he became a curator, before the whales of New York, a young Paul Sieswerda carried a tiny orphaned harbor seal home from a Boston beach — certain he'd feed the pup through the night and return him to the aquarium the next day.

Instead, the seal stayed. He slept in the bathtub. He paddled in a kiddie pool. He became "Cecil" to the family and a character at birthday parties. A Seal in the Bathtub is the true, tender story of how one small creature changed a young biologist's life — and set him on a path that would span five decades of caring for the ocean.

FormatIllustrated Memoir
AudienceFamily & Young Readers
CategoryMemoir · Nature
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The Author

A lifetime with whales, seals, and wonder

PS
Marine Biologist · Author · Curator

Paul L. Sieswerda

Paul Sieswerda has spent more than fifty years in the company of marine mammals. He began as a young volunteer at the New England Aquarium in Boston, where he was rapidly promoted to Curator of Fishes and Mammals, and eventually went on to serve as Curator of the New York Aquarium on Coney Island.

Today, he is the founder and Executive Director of Gotham Whale, a nonprofit dedicated to the study, education, and advocacy of the whales, dolphins, and seals of New York Harbor. His work has helped document the extraordinary return of humpback whales to the waters around New York City — a conservation story he now shares with readers of every age.

Paul is also the author of Sharks (Animal Ways), and his writing, teaching, and fieldwork continue to bring the wonder of the sea to a new generation.

— with salt still on his boots,
Paul

Media & Press

For journalists, educators & booksellers

Resources for coverage, classroom use, and store events. For interviews or signing requests, please reach out directly.

Press Kit

Author bio, high-resolution headshots, book cover files, and sample chapters for review.

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Interviews & Events

Paul is available for podcasts, school visits, and bookstore readings throughout the year.

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Educators

Classroom guides, read-aloud materials, and curriculum tie-ins aligned with NGSS.

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What Readers Are Saying

Praise from readers & reviewers

Does a terrific job of informing children (and adults!) about the humpback whales in NYC's waters, using 'Jerry' the whale to tell the story. The illustrations are charming and should delight children of all ages.

— Reader Review, Big Whale, Big City

The illustrations are true to real-life whale anatomy, and the story is entertaining and educational — a rare and wonderful combination.

— Educator Review

A tender, true story about the small moments that shape an entire life. You'll never look at a seal — or a bathtub — the same way again.

— On A Seal in the Bathtub

Paul Sieswerda writes with the quiet authority of a lifetime spent beside the water. His books are gifts — for families, for classrooms, for anyone who has ever loved the sea.

— Gotham Whale Community