Pup the Sea Otter

February 15, 2017
A sea otter pup grows up.Jonathan London, whose Otters Love to Play, illustrated by Meilo So (2016), introduced North American river otters to young readers, turns his attention to sea otters of the North Pacific Ocean. This gentle story tells how a pup born off the California coast is nurtured by its mother for 8 months until he is able to eat on his own and can join a raft of other young male sea otter pups. (What happens to the females is a logical but unanswered question.) The author describes how Mama nurses, grooms, and feeds her baby, how she wraps him in kelp to secure him while she's foraging, stores her food in a convenient arm pocket and uses a stone as a tool to crack a shell, and how she teaches him to forage. There's one encounter with a predator: a near miss with a shark. The lyrical text is presented in short sections of three or four lines, often followed by an onomatopoeic word or phrase set in display type. Hand-painted images by Sean London, the author's son, illustrate the story realistically and faithfully, concentrating on mother and pup, emphasizing their bond. The water, with its changing colors, acts as a pleasing background. An author's note supplies further information, but there is no index. Aimed at a slightly younger audience than author London's river otter book, this provides an agreeable introduction. (Informational picture book. 2-6)

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March 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-This fun, narrative-driven title covers the first eight months of Pup's (a sea otter) life. Readers watch how Pup's mother cares for him; how he eats, sleeps, and plays; and how he begins to grow and scavenge for his own food. Yet not all is tranquil: suspense builds when Pup is interrupted by a preying shark. Set in verse, peppered with onomatopoeia ("munch crunch munch!") and dramatic sounds ("Eeeeeeeee!"), this is a fine selection for read-alouds. The occasional use of large, swirly fonts, though attractive, will likely render the text unreadable by the intended audience. The soft, gentle illustrations focus on Pup and his mother; the background is largely sparse, so readers' eyes will naturally be drawn to the animals. London does not cite resources or suggestions for further study, but a page-long author's note offers some statistics about the creature. It also mentions that almost half of the sea otter pup population die every year, mostly from oil spills or pollution, issues that are not discussed in Pup's tale. VERDICT Consider for educational storytimes or as a bridge from picture books to light nonfiction.-Elissa Cooper, Helen Plum Memorial Library, Lombard, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2017
Preschool-G This appealing picture book follows a young sea otter growing up. Newborn Pup rests on his mother's belly as she floats in the sea, nursing and grooming him until they both fall asleep. When she needs to forage underwater, she wraps him in kelp that anchors him bobbing on the water's surface until her return. Little by little, he learns to eat solid food and, later, to find it himself. When a hungry shark approaches, his mother shows him how to escape. And when he's ready, Pup becomes independent at last. The writer of the popular Froggy series as well as nature-themed picture books such as Otters Love to Play (2016), Jonathan London knows how to tell a story. In this case, he conveys plenty of intriguing facts about sea otters, along with a bit drama to hold children's attentions. Fluid, colorful illustrations clarify points in the text while portraying the characters with soft-edged realism. An appended author's note commenting on sea otters of the North Pacific coastal region rounds out this informative picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)