Every time I see this title, If You Take Away the Otter I wonder, “Why would you take away the otter? They are cute and fluffy and smart and funny and cute…” Only once upon a time, some people did take away the otters (by various ways, and mostly (if not all) were environmentally unfriendly ones). Therefore, Susannah Buhrman-Deever created a fun story filled with facts (with extra information on the sides and at the end) to allow your child to grow with the book. Of course, it is heavy on the environmental benefits of keeping a healthy balance between all the different plants, animals and humans. It is a strong book that should be on your reading list.
And if otters and learning about environmental issues from a slightly different angle, is not enough, Matthew Trueman and the illustrations they created, are a reason to open this book. All the glory of otters as they splash about come to life. The right amount of detail is placed on each page, making some areas busy and others calmer. The colors highlight the theme, the place and the item presented. The cover is a good example of what you will find. The world of the otter is present right before you and your child’s eye.
This is not only educational, but there is the fun element of reading a story about an animal you might not be familiar with. All the while, one gets to see the sea of the Pacific Coast of North America in this nonfiction story that all ages can dive into!
