Odder

I love this book so much. It's easy to read and fast paced. You can finish it in 2 hours or less. Good for young readers, but it's also a book an adult can ready if you want a light and easy read. It has pictures too, and the otters are so cute. You read in the perspective of the otter named Odder. Very light hearted and fun and cute book.

An absolutely delightful book - just as adorable as the otter on the front cover. I know that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but this book's story matched the charm on the outside.I absolutely love that Applegate's novels are from animal perspectives but also based on real stories and real animals. Premise: An Otter pup Odder is separated from her mom after a fierce storm. Fortunately, strange animals - humans - discover her and take her to a strange place and restore her health. Eventually she goes back into the wild. However, when she is badly injured a second time, the humans back on land give her a new and very important job - surrogate mother to other otter pups just like her.Through Odder's story, we learn about love, loss, family, hope, and joy, and that the "horrible humans" that most otter mothers teach their children to be afraid of, can actually be saviors.I love that this story is based on the Monteray aquarium, where people are rescuing otters, rehabing them and teaching them how to swim and dive, and releasing them back into the wild. There were some otters who were not healthy enough to be released back to the wild. So the researchers had another idea - make them surrogate mothers so that baby otters are learning the skills they need to survive from other otters versus humans. And it was successful!!Seeing this story from Odder's perspective is just so honest, cute, innocent and adorable. This story really does give you all the "feels." You learn about love, trust, and family - which may not always be black and white as we think.Super cute, super fast, great read! Highly recommend! Quotes:“Numbers are aloof, but names are sticky, fusing rescuer to rescued, scientist to subject, human to otter. (And it’s not hard to fall in love with an otter pup). It’s a shame really. Think of the possibilities: Squiggles and Splash and Potter and Noodle! Otto and Oswald and Ozzie and Obi!” pg. 11“An otter’s life goes like this: eat groom sleep eat groom sleep eat group sleep but always there is time for a bit of deep diving, wave chasing, tail spinning, smooth gliding, bubble blowing FUN.” pg. 22“And yet understanding the odds, having done this so many times, why do their hearts rip open every time they fall?” pg. 75“How to say goodbye to an otter. Be hopeful. She’s been tagged with ID, and you’ll be checking on her constantly. Besides, she’s a prodigy in the water. Know you’ve taught her well, that she is read for this moment, that there is never a perfect time to let go of the ones we love.” pg. 178“I’m not like you, Kairi. I get in trouble. I don’t listen. I nearly got you killed. I don’t know how to take care of the pup. I barely know how to take care of myself. You know how to play, says Kairi” pg. 247“How to say goodbye to an otter (otter version). Be proud. After long months, know you’ve done your best, that teaching and loving are different words for the same thing. Be hopeful. Imagine them as the cages open, as they leap into the wild water to use what you have shared, to take chances and make mistakes, to be lonely sometimes, and lost, but always, to know that the world is not meant to be feared, and that water, beautiful water, will always mean play” pg. 260