Sam the Seagull books teach children to protect coast

Amanda Boulding, 48, has published the first in a series of books entitled Sam The Seagull, hoping to teach children about the importance of protecting the environment and sea life around coastal towns.

A portion of proceeds from the book sales will go towards Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project. 

Having frequently visited Weymouth over the years, Amanda - who lives in Berkshire - decided to pair her passion for writing and illustrating with environmental activism to create fun yet educational stories. 

Sam the Seagull by Amanda Boulding front cover (Image: Amanda Boulding)

She said: “We visit the coast many times in the year with friends. We love the seaside in Weymouth and it’s beautiful but there is a real problem with litter at the moment.

"We’re trying to protect the environment for children and wildlife as we’re encroaching on their space. We need to educate people to look after our planet better.”

Her series of books will be aimed at younger children from 0 to 3 and 4 years old. By telling the story through the eyes of a seagull, Amanda hopes it will teach children subtle yet valuable lessons about not littering, taking rubbish back home and not giving human food to seagulls.  

She said: “We need to be aware of the creatures and animals we are sharing our planet with. Let’s all be more responsible."

The Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project has been urging people not to leave rubbish after Weymouth beach was left in a ‘terrible’ state following a sun-filled weekend.

The group has shared their excitement for Amanda's project in helping to raise awareness about the effects of littering. 

Dave Taylor, co-founder of Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project said: "When we were contacted by Amanda out of the blue about the books we were blown away.

Litter on Weymouth Beach from May (Image: Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project)

"When we started out in 2021 we were just two local dog walkers from Wyke who wanted to do something protect the coast we love so much.

"To see our mission reach a nationwide audience via Amanda's books is amazing. Hopefully it will give children and parents a greater understanding of issues affecting local wildlife and the work being done locally in Weymouth to look after our environment."

The book was published on Monday, July 1 with copies currently in stock at the Nothe Fort. The new two books are due to be published at the end of the month, with Amanda hoping to provide educational content for children in a fun way. 

She added: "I think a main aim for me is to help develop an environmental conscience across the generations through gentle story telling and awareness of our impact on the natural environment. 

"Parents can enjoy books with their children and have a laugh but it has strong messages about protecting nature."