Lush illustrations, fun side facts, proper tone for the age level. ( )

This book is good for a primary age group. It combines the whimsical pictures you'd expect from a fiction picture book with some very valuable information on the pivotal role otters play in their ecosystem. It also carries an environmental lesson on the way human impact can completely ruin the balance of an environment. I would definitely have this in my classroom, as it carries both the interest of kids that enjoy learning about animals while also offering a moral cause.

This book takes a dive into the ocean and explores the kelp forests and the sea otters in the Pacific coast of North America. The book has beautifully written prose, methodically researched asides that are woven into the pages to add more depth to the information provided throughout this book. The illustrations of the active marine life provide the visual appeal that readers are looking for. These beautiful illustrations done in mixed media bring the information to life. Both Susannnah Buhrman-Deever and Matthew Trueman help readers to understand this serious and heartfelt look at a habitat’s recovery.
Kelp forests and sea otters work together to keep the ocean healthy for so many creatures. The book begins by talking about the intricate parts of the kelp forest, the sea life that depends on it and many facts about these forests that give the reader a deep understanding of why these kelp forests matter. The story then takes a closer look at the sea otters, and how they play a part in keeping the kelp forests alive and this ecosystem working. This book then looks at how human impacted this ecosystem and even the indigenous people through their ignorance and desire for the sea otter furs. These people took the otters away, hunting them for their fur and almost driving them to extinction. When this happened above water this caused a ripple effect beneath the water. Without the sea otters, the population of sea urchins grew and devoured the kelp. This destroyed an entire kelp forests along with all the marine life that depend on the kelp for survival. in 1911 the United States along with other countries decided to sign the International Fur Treaty that protected sea otters being hunted and sold for otter furs by the non-indigenous people. By signing this treaty and working together, the sea otters and the kelp forests were able to come back and thus making sure a whole ecosystem stays protected.

First off the illustrations in this book are breathtaking. They are absolutely gorgeous. The story tells how the cycle of life changes if an element, in this case sea otters are taken away. Along with the story there are multiple factoids that are relevant and interesting. This would be a great book to talk about life cycles, hunting, and even endangered species. ( )