Baby Sea Otter [Hardcover]

Betty Tatham (Author), Joan Paley (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Learn how a baby sea otter grows up

At the edge of the ocean, a baby sea otter is born. The newborn pup is little and helpless. Her mother must protect her from predators like the fierce bald eagles that are always ready to swoop after a baby.

The young otter grows up quickly. When she is old enough to fend for herself, she finds a mate. Soon the sea otter will have a tiny pup of her own.

In simple, evocative text and vibrant illustrations, this picture book explores the life cycle of the sea otter.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–A baby sea otter is born and cared for by her mother, who grooms her, hunts for food, feeds her, and saves her from a hungry eagle. Mother and pup spend most of their time in a group of other female otters and their young called a raft. The pup later learns how to dive and hunt, and eventually is left to swim on her own as her mother goes off to hunt. At one point the baby is kidnapped by a male sea otter, but the mother rescues her by giving up the food she has collected. At six months of age, the young sea otter is able to find her own food. And when she is three years old, she is ready to mate. After a five-month gestation period, the cycle begins anew, with a new baby pup ready to learn and grow. The clear, simple paragraphs of text, interspersed with the drama that the otters face daily, will keep young readers interested. Paley's lush blue- and aqua-toned collages add texture and richness. The picture-book format will make this book more suitable for browsing and pleasure reading rather than reports, and the topic will appeal to a wide audience.–DeAnn Tabuchi, San Anselmo Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. After Baby Sea Otter is born, its mother must feed and groom the pup and protect it from dangerous predators. Mother also teaches her pup to hunt for food and use stones to crack open clams. When the pup is three years old, it is ready to mate and soon has pups of its own to feed and groom. Colorful collages, created from delicately hand-painted and textured papers, bring the details in the text to life, showing the kelp bed that keeps the baby from drifting away, the shells the otters eat, and the careful attention the mother gives her offspring. Informative and entertaining, this is an excellent resource to introduce young children to sea otters. Additional information is appended in "Sea Otter Facts." Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (August 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805075046
• ISBN-13: 978-0805075045
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,550,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Find!, November 2, 2006

By 

Jacqueline Wiebe (Sparks, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Baby Sea Otter (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book. Lovely illustrations to draw children's attention. Excellent factual information about otters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baby Sea Otter, October 15, 2005

By 

RM McCall "The Best Book Bin" (Richwood, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Sea Otter (Hardcover)

Lessons Learned in Baby Sea Otter
by Betty Tatham
Reviewed by RM McCall for The Best Book Bin


Baby Sea Otter is an exquisite non-fiction picture book exploring the life cycle of the Sea Otter. Children love to learn about animals and this book fills that bill. Each page walks you through the life cycle of the Sea Otter. I found myself saying, "Really? I didn't know that." I didn't know that the sea otter had pouches under its arms. Or, that they have the thickest fur of any animal on earth. Or, that the male otter will try to kidnap a baby for food ransom. Parents will enjoy reading this book to their little ones and the beautiful artwork will delight both parent and child. Ms. Tatham has taken real life facts and presented them in an exciting and interesting way. The baby sea otter faces many of the same things a child faces in life. The mother cares for the baby sea otter. She provides shelter and protection, until the baby grows big enough to fend for itself. As the baby grows, the days are filled with fun playing with the other pups and floating on a raft. But the tension builds when an eagle dives from the sky, thinking the baby sea otter would make a tasty evening meal. As the baby grows it ventures off on its own, but it soon realizes there are still things to learn, when it has a close encounter with a shark. At the age of three the young sea otter is ready to mate and the cycle starts all over again. This book is perfect for children 4-8 years old and for adults who enjoy the beauty of a good picture book and relish learning along with their children.