Odder

Odder by Katherine Applegate is an adorable animal tale told in verse.  As you can imagine from the title and the cover, it is about otters.  According to the author’s note, the story is loosely based on actual otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I wasn’t quite aware until reading this book that otters were an endangered species due to the California fur trade prior to 1938.  

The story is recommended ages 8-11 but given that it is written in verse, it may be a bit of a challenge for younger readers at first.  It isn’t difficult to get a hang of reading a novel in verse, but parents should be aware and help teach or guide their children in understanding a story told in such a manner.  

In this adorable tale, Odder is the main character who received her name from her mother because of her peculiar behavior.  The story is told in four parts.  Part One is titled “the queen of play” and introduces the readers to Odder in the present with her fun and play.  However, it isn’t long until Odder is bitten by a shark.  Spoiler - she survives.  But in case you have super sensitive animal lovers this may not even be a story you want to consider.  Fortunately, Odder ends up close to shore and she is rescued by the local aquarium and taken into surgery.  

Part Two is titled “how to be an otter pup.”  This isn’t Odder’s first time in an aquarium setting or experiencing rehabilitation.  Readers learn that she was also rescued when she was just a pup.  The story gives a cute account of her mom’s care for her until her mom disappears during stormy weather.  It is quite sad.  However, Odder is taken care of and later reintroduced to the wild where she ends up getting bit by the shark. 

This leads the readers to Part Three titled “otter #209.”  In this section, Odder is struggling because she misses her otter friend who was also slightly bitten by the shark and is struggling to regain her mobility as she is recovering from the shark attack.  It also becomes clear that she is now a permanent resident of the aquarium.  Fortunately, she is reintroduced to her missing friend who was also picked up and saved.  The two are now becoming foster mothers to other little otter pups that have been rescued.  

As mentioned previously, the author’s note gives more detail about the actual otters this story is based off of.  Overall, it is a sweet story for young readers about otters and opens the readers eyes to conservation efforts to help endangered species.