The philosophy of Emerson has captivated British Columbia—and now a lively children’s picture book celebrates him.
…What? Oh, not Ralph Waldo. The Emerson I refer to is Vancouver Island’s headline-grabbing elephant seal, now starring in Ginger Ngo’s Emerson the Elephant Seal. Several years ago, Puget Sound-born Em swam over to Victoria, where he enjoyed splashing happily about in Oak Bay and sunning on the beach. Not to mention basking in the adoration of admirers who snapped his photo and tossed him snacks.
Concerned about his safety in an urban setting, community officials relocated Emerson to quiet Barkley Sound. But, like the Emerson of yore, this one adhered to philosophy. In the seal’s case, that there’s no place like home.
In Emerson the Elephant Seal, author/artist Ginger Ngo relates how our stubborn hero made waves with a six-day, 90-nautical-mile swim back to Victoria. After all, as she points out, “Emerson the Elephant Seal loves this town.” Not to mention “those little salmon sandwiches” served at the Empress Hotel’s fabled afternoon teas.
Okay, it’s unlikely the bewhiskered, 500-pound bull, that is, adult seal, actually snares teatime seatings at the elegant old Grande Dame of B.C. hotels. Or wears a sunhat and shades while collecting flapper-fuls of flowers at lush Butchart Gardens. But who minds whimsical liberties when Ngo’s storytelling is so fun?
Young readers will enjoy seeing Emerson snap photos at the Royal BC Museum. All the while, cheering crowds sport Emerson rocks T-shirts and brandish Emerson for mayor pamphlets.
Ngo cleverly balances the fun with drama, showing a dismayed Emerson about to be, well, sealed inside a Barclay Sound-bound trailer.
Every good story, fact, fiction or—as in this case—a blend of both, has conflict and climax. Readers will fret along with exiled Emerson. They’ll then rejoice to see him in top hat and medallion necklace on his ceremonious return, with the BC legislature in the background. Definitely a crowd- and reader-pleaser of a scene, not unreminiscent of exiled English monarch Charles II reclaiming his kingdom in the Restoration of 1661.
True to real life, Ngo concludes her story with community officials once again protecting Emerson from being fan-swarmed. This time, though, Em gets to stay—in his own special, no-trespassing area. A happy compromise to seal the deal.
Now, let’s take wing
Another delightful story sure to enchant readers young and young at heart is Sandra Boynton’s When Pigs Fly! A Song for Dreamers. Newly reissued, this fanciful, poignant board book starts off with a young pig brandishing a paintbrush. Noticing the faraway, searching look in piglet’s eyes, parent pig understandingly oinks, “I know you for a dreamer because I’ve been a dreamer, too.”
Encouraged, our junior artist creates a painting of a wingèd pig sailing through “the endless BLUE of the sky.”
The story’s conflict arises when two naysayers appear: a rancorous rhino and a baleful bird. “Dreams are nothing but air!” “Imagination will get you nowhere!”
Rhino is a sickly greyish pale, bird a sickly green—perhaps with envy. By contrast, our artistic dreamer piglet is a rich hue of pink. Appropriately so, because if you’re creative, you truly are in the pink.
Adult pig shoos naysayer negativity away. The two pigs then look skyward and see flying pigs. Pig carries piglet off to bed—and to dreams of being airborne.
As Emerson the elephant seal might say to piglet, and for that matter to readers of all ages: If you have a dream, be pig-headed. Stick with it.
About the Authors
Now living in Vancouver, Ginger Ngo was born and raised in the Philippines, with Chinese roots and a third-culture childhood. She grew up with Filipino music, English books, Mexican TV soap operas (a.k.a. telenovelas), Japanese cartoons, and Chinese banquets. In Canada Ginger learned about winters, camping, public libraries, David Suzuki and Gore-Tex. She illustrated Grant Lawrence’s Adventures in Desolation Sound (2024).
An American cartoonist, children’s author, songwriter, producer, and director, Sandra Boynton has written and illustrated more than 85 children’s books and seven general-audience books, including five New York Times bestsellers. Sandra has also directed many music videos of her songs, including the award-winning “One Shoe Blues,” starring B.B. King. Speaking of songs, When Pigs Fly! took off in a Ryan Adams video.
Book Details
Emerson the Elephant Seal, by Ginger Ngo
Publisher: Harbour Publishing, August 12, 2025
Language: English
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN: 9 7819985 2634 5
Book Details
When Pigs Fly! A Song for Dreamers, By Sandra Boynton
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks, Simon & Schuster, August 26, 2025
Language: English
Board book: 24 pages
ISBN: 978-1-6659-7744-9
About the Reviewer
Melanie Jackson is a Vancouver freelance writer/editor. She's also the award-winning author of middle-grade/YA suspensers, including Orca Books’ Dinah Galloway Mystery Series, and several chillers set in amusement parks. Visit Melanie’s page at The Writers’ Union of Canada site.