Otter and Odder

Gr 1-3–Swimming through a river in search of a meal, Otter comes face-to-face with a doe-eyed fish and finds love instead. The fish wants only to escape, but gazing into her captor’s eyes, she sees “a tender and lonely heart revealed,” and her own “tremulous/fish-not-wishing-to-be-dinner/heart” awakens to the possibility of affection. Alas, the course of true love never does run smooth, particularly when meandering through the links of the food chain, and the couple’s idyllic happiness is short-lived. Tongues wag (“‘It isn’t right.’/‘It isn’t natural.’/‘It isn’t the way of the otter’”), causing him doubts, while his beloved wonders how she can love someone who feeds upon her family and friends. However, this romance is not destined to end in tragedy: inspired by Beaver’s astute words (“…there is/the way of the otter/and there is/the way of the heart./It is up to you to decide which to follow”), Otter makes his choice–and a change in diet (apples and aspen bark can be very tasty)–paving the way for a happily-ever-after conclusion. Howe’s narrative incorporates humor, earnest emotion, and a likable protagonist to convey important truths about following one’s heart and looking beyond the expectations of others. The text is lyrical and rhythmically cadenced, unfurling gracefully like a blossoming flower to reveal its wisdom. Resplendent in sparkling sun-warmed hues, Raschka’s watercolor-and-pencil illustrations use stick-figure-style characters and unembellished shapes to strike the perfect balance of simplicity and eloquence. Like Leo Lionni’s wonder-filled fables, this tale entertains while it inspires.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal