I Am Oliver the Otter

This heartfelt picture book is an ode to all things otter, written by nationally renowned poet and wildlife advocate, Pam Ayres.

Oliver is an otter who lives along a mossy riverbank. Whether he’s using his special webbed feet to swim underwater, scuttling along the bank or meeting other animals, he mostly gets by alone. But one day, Oliver meets another otter called Ottilie and his future looks much less solitary…

The story is interwoven with little facts about otters and the final double page provides some background information on what makes otters unique and how they are under threat from human pollution and farming.

With gentle rhyme and beautifully rich illustrations, the writer’s love for otters shines through. This book is as much a call to young wildlife lovers to protect otters’ habitats, as it is a story about just one (very cute) otter. The underlying theme of conservation does not detract from what is ultimately a gentle and charming story about these beautiful creatures.