Some new things to learn about otters who live far away from us, what they do daily, how they survive the ocean world, what they do when their pups are born, and the danger of that vast sea for them. Eye-opening and informative, this is a good book for those who want to know more about otters.

Really enjoyed this! I love otters and know a lot about them but I still found this fascinating. I really like how it was factual and educational but also presented as a story, making it a great way to educate kids. I also like the last pages ‘more about sea otters’ and the ‘glossary’ that provide more details and widen the age range this is suitable for - even I, an adult, learnt things and enjoyed it.

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter is a look at a female otter for one important year by Laurence Pringle. The illustrations are calming, relaxing and dreamy in the most lovely way. The text is full of information concerning otters in general using Lutris as the example.

My first grade granddaughter read this book with me. The text was not overly complicated but she still needed help on some of the words. Perhaps more of a second grade level for independent reading. This is the kind of book that begs to be read again and again. Also if you were not in love with otters before reading this book you will be afterwards.

The only thing we wish had been added was some photos of otters in the concluding information page of the book. Our digital copy did not include any but perhaps the paper copy does.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

The illustrations are so beautiful and realistic! We follow Lutris and her journey as she goes on to become a mother. We slowly learn about their food habits, different types, dwelling places, the way pups grow up and the physical changes that occur, the dangers they face, their lifestyles and so on. It was a very informative and delightful read. It contains lots of information that would satisfy anyone's curiosity about sea otters, adults included. The 'More about Sea Otters" part might be a bit hard for young readers but it is no big deal as that part isn't directly connected to the story and can be skipped until the reader is mature enough. Recommended!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter is a beautiful and calm, soothing, relaxing read for children. The illustrations are stunning and I just fell in love with sea otters from reading this! The story is about Lutris the sea otter and her pup and cleverly weaves facts and information about sea otters through the story. Children will fall in love with this book and it would be a perfect bedtime read due to its calming qualities.
At the back there is s glossary and further information section which is ideal for older children and adults to learn even more about this beautiful animal.

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter is a charmingly illustrated picture book about a mama otter and her newborn pup. Otters are THE trendy animal for kids to love right now, so this is sure to be a popular book in any collection.

Cute story with lots of facts. The illustrations are beautiful. Great title to have on hand for summer reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Laurence Pringle for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Sea otters are my son's favorite animal. He loved the pictures in the book. He read this probably about 5 times in a row and askes me constantly if he can read it again. This is a very cute book and when it comes out in print I will definitely be purchasing him a copy.

This is an educational children’s book about the life of a sea otter and how he lives in his ecosystem under the sea. The beautiful and engaging illustrations paint the picture of his daily activities. I find it fascinating how the sea otter’s body is designed to aid in his survival in a challenging environment.

I enjoyed reading this children’s book and I think many children would find this information fun to learn. It could easily be adapted to a scientific learning module in an upper elementary classroom to aid in the understanding sea life.

Additionally, I also appreciated the glossary and references at the end of the book to facilitate further learning.

I want to thank Author Laurence Pringle, Illustrator Kate Garchinsky, Astra Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Did you know that sea otters have the densest fur of all mammels?

Lutris the sea otter lives in the ocean together with her pup. In this fascinating little book we learn about their food, their fur, their relationsships and more! The illustrations are lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so cute! My kids love otters and enjoyed learning more about them. I recommend for anyone with kids and especially those who homeschool. This will be a great book for your shelves.

The story of Lutris and her pup is cute and informative. I believe this Califonian Sea Otter is such an amazing creature to introduce to any child, to learn of its ways in its natural habitat: how it feeds, grooms itself; how it sleeps and keeps itself afloat, and how it cares for its young. Learning that sea otters are "keepers of the kelp" was a very interesting point to me and that because of sea otters going to near extinction, the effects that had on its environment and the kelp. Books like this one are great for helping children to be more aware of nature and to be its carers as well. Oh, if children read this book they will be able to find out what a group of sea otters is called.

I'd say that the illustrator has done an excellent job complimenting the story line, appearing to replica more actual hatitat topography as any scientifically inclined book for young readers should. The book ends with interesting facts, a glossary, and a short list of books for further reading about sea otters should any reader be so inspired to additional knowledge of this species. All in all, this book offers a good learning experience and opportunity for young children.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

March 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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If you want a vividly illustrated children's book to teach you about otters, look no further. This story by Laurence Pringle follows a Southern sea otter, Lutris, and her pup as they eat, groom, play, and escape threats. I thought it was very educational, in the best way. There is a lot of information, but not too much to overpower each page. Some words are quite big for young children, like undulating, but there is a glossary in the back that is very helpful for them to learn more.

The drawings throughout the book are realistic and whimsical at the same time, with great use of color to portray their watery habitat. My 19-month-old is a bit young for this book now, despite her love of the pictures, but I would definitely read it to her in a few years. Any child with an interest in animals or science should enjoy this book. The "More About Sea Otters" information at the end was very interesting to read and included a lot of facts that elaborated more on what was touched on in the story. This section seems to be more geared toward adults or older children, but I think it could be a great conversation starter to talk more about otters with your child. I think it is a cute nod to otters' scientific name to name the main character Lutris.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book that I would purchase once available. I received this as an ARC through NetGalley.

This is an amazing read about Southern Sea Otter, its habitat, diet, life cycle, behavior, adaptations... Those lucky enough to observe them in their natural habitat can see them daily floating with their little heads and feet out of the cold waters. The captivating illustrations and text tell a story of a marine mammal that uses tools, wraps its young in kelp, and is the keystone species of the Pacific kelp forest. A must-read!

This is a beautiful informational book with a sweet story. I love all the information about sea otters, while keeping to the story. The illustrations are gorgeous!

Ever since seeing the Disney movie Finding Dory I’ve been obsessed with Sea Otters. They’re so cute! I wyas excited to see “The Secret Life of the Sea Otter” by Laurence Pringle on NetGalley. I read it on my iPad but I think it would be better in print. The illustrations were nice in the digital form but I think will be gorgeous in the print version. One slight concern I have related to this though is the readability of the text.

The story explores the daily life of Lutris and her baby. I felt like there some good educational content in there but the “storyline” felt a little choppy to me. At the end of the book there was more information about Sea Otters as well as a glossary of terms. I liked the glossary. I don’t think that the “additional information” added much to the book though to be honest. I’m not sure exactly what the suggested age range is for the book but the extra info was too advanced. I would rather the author have included more kid friendly resources.

All in all, I think the illustrations included in the book will be gorgeous but I’m not sure about the text content. Im a little disappointed.

As a sea otter lover, I absolutely loved this book! I love that it mixes so much information about how a sea otter lives but puts it in a way that children can understand! I will definitely be getting a copy for my son and I!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House!

The Secret Life of the Sea Otter is a beautifully illustrated book full of fun and interesting otter facts. It follows the life of a sea otter named Lutris, who lives off the coast of California. It describes her daily life in the kelp forest habitat and some of the other local animals she encounters.

Along with the story of Lutris the author has included a glossary of important terms and some further reading. I appreciate the list of extra books as my children love otters and books about them can be hard to find.

While this is written for younger children, I think readers of all ages can appreciate the information and the lovely illustrations.

This is a wonderful book following the life of a sea otter in the Pacific. I love how it is educational while telling a universal story about the animal in a way that is very engaging. The illustrations are full-page and gorgeous. It's definitely a good story for kids who are interested in learning about animals!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Visually very pleasant, this looks at the sea otter – well, one in particular, and her newborn, in a semi-fictionalised manner. It's an easy way to see her day-to-day life, of napping, grooming, fishing and eating, and then nursing the baby. There is a denser chunk of text later on for the educators amongst you, but the three or four gentle paragraphs per page, and the lovely artwork, make this an appealing lesson. The fifth of this series to feature both creators (an earlier one had a different artist), this suggests the other visits to the worlds of similarly slightly random critters would be quite enjoyable, too.