Otter on His Own: The Story of a Sea Otter

Smithsonian's Oceanic Collection

by Doe Boyle, Robert Lawson (Illustrator)

Sea Otter Pup's mother teaches him to dive and hunt. When the pup follows his mother into the open sea, more than just excitement awaits them as a great white shark is lurking near. Will they escape the attack? Find out as this thrilling adventure unfolds! Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Otter on his Own is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations.



Book
- An informative storyline and colorful illustrations
- 32 pages
- Appropriate for 3-9
- Hardcover 12 x 8 3/4 inches

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Science, Family

31 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[eveonne ୨୧ ˚⟡˖ ࣪]

when i tell you i was so invested in this book

[Jessica Atwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years, my kids have loved the picture books in the Smithsonian Oceanic collection. They teach about animals by telling the story of a particular individual member of that species. The writing is simple but fluid and the stories capture emotion without being anthropomorphic. The illustrations echo the text's simplicity and charm. This particular volume is the favorite of series for my eight year old son with developmental delays. My children have begun enjoying them around three years old.

[Keshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book with lots of good information! I also really like the open ending; it will be great for making inferences and predictions!

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet!

[Anna Dipprey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is super cute and can be used in the classroom in many ways. I liked reading about the otters because I have seen them off the coast of California.

Purpose
Read aloud for enrichment
This book would be great for reading aloud to students learning about the ocean. I think younger students will be able to relate to this book because they have to be separated from their mothers during school.
This book has a lot of ocean vocabulary in it, and some onomatopoeia. Some of the ocean vocabulary found in this book are cove, kelp and urchin. Many of these words can be figured out by looking at pictures or the surrounding sentences.
Read Aloud for curricular purposes:
This book would be best for classes learning about the ocean or doing reports on animals. Because this book gives so much description of both it would be great for both.
This story has a good plot like, a bit of suspense and finally a conclusion. This book teaches us about independence and growing up.
The illustrations in this book are great, and really add to the reading experience. I think students would really benefit from this book and its images because it has a lot of educational value.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute story about a mother otter teaching her child how to take care of himself. It is about really things that otters have to do so it is also informational as well as cute and heartwarming.

The media used here seems to be watercolor and colored pencil.

I would read this book aloud before teaching a science Unit on otters.

[Crissell · Rating 4 out of 5]

*book about otters
*teaches kids about growing up
*Teaches kids about leaving their parents
*Animals teaching their kids how to care for themselves

[Emily Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a face he makes in one scene that I still think about because of how amazing it was. I did know the information but doing this with students would be fun to help them learn

[Alexis Speciale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super cute but also super informational. For a childrens book it did have a lot of words which made it difficult to read but very imformative overall.

[JD Waggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why yes, I do own a rather ridiculous amount of stuffed otters (as in the toy kind, not the taxidermy special kind), and I think one of them came with this book as a museum souvenir twofer or something. It's a cute book, a good overall introduction to the life structure of a sea otter for kids; it kind of feels teachy, though, which is frustrating. As in, we spend more time learning about the food-breaking tools Otter Pup knows how to use than when his mom is almost eaten by a shark. Never really a fan of sacrificing plot for learning, even in a Smithsonian I Will Teach You About Otters 30 page book, or however long it is. This is why I'm kind of a jerk about educational writing.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An otter pup's first year of life. Told in detailed watercolors and narrative style. His mother's close call with a shark was the most exciting part.