MY OTTER HALF

An unlikely animal friendship blooms when lost youngsters help each other out.

Oliver—Ollie to his buddies—is a curious sea otter who loves swimming and frolicking in the waters near Washington state’s Puget Sound. Teased by his playmates for being too cautious, Ollie takes a big risk that ends in disaster when he is separated from his mom during an oil spill. Dachshund puppy Franklin is similarly curious; he runs away from his owner, Lucy, when a squirrel catches his eye. Lucy is desperate to find Franklin but is torn between helping her mom, who works at a marine lab, with the oil spill cleanup efforts and searching for her beloved dog. Meanwhile, Lucy’s mom and older brother have had a falling out, and Lucy is anxious for them to forgive one another and for her family to heal. Ollie and Franklin meet on the beach and begin the adventure of a lifetime as they team up to find their ways back home. Readers will delight in the otter and puppy antics that unfold. Information about otter behavior and abilities is woven into the storyline along with descriptions of the environmental impact of oil spills. Chapters alternate between Lucy’s, Franklin’s, and Ollie’s perspectives, keeping the story moving forward at a fast clip. Lucy and her family are presumed White.

Two cute animals teaming up means double the fun in this romping adventure.