Sea Otters

March 1, 2020
Grades 4-8 Sea otters, almost hunted into extinction in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, have made an amazing comeback along the coast of California, British Columbia, and Alaska and are continually reeducating humans about their important place in the ecosystem. Over the course of four chapters, Groc (a conservation-focused writer, wildlife photographer, and filmmaker) examines the lives and habits of these floating cuties, their role as a keystone species, their surprising return to old habitats like estuaries and positive impacts there, and how humans must relearn how to live with them. In the Field segments provide a pause in the main text to focus on scientists studying sea otters today, and readers will be interested to see how new evidence is continually being found on the important role sea otters play in healthy oceans, even as they still face dangers from humans, pollution, and climate change. Groc's personal admiration for these intriguing mammals is evident in her descriptive writing, clear explanations, and well-documented and captioned color photographs. A compelling wake-up call for protecting the environment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)