Odder: An Otter's story by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

Many older readers will have met Odder via the verse novel with the same title by Katherine Applegate. That book has 270 pages. It is fairly easy to read because of the format but the intended audience is readers aged 9+.  Now we also have Odder: An Otter's story which is a picture book for readers aged 5+.  Huge thanks to University of Queensland Press for sending an advance copy.

Look at the cover of this new picture book - it is sure to appeal to all young readers. How can anyone resist this sweet little sea otter - she seems to be looking straight at the reader on the cover inviting you to explore her story. Then there is the added bonus that this book is a based on a true story. Children are always fascinated by true animal stories. Odder: An otter's story is a book you should certainly consider adding to your school library collection. Older readers might like to borrow the verse novel and the picture book. I would be keen to display them side by side in the library. Reading a verse novel can be quite an emotional experience. It is so impressive that, even with the pared back text, Katherine Applegate gives her readers of this picture book version beautiful insights into the emotions of little Odder.

I did a brief comparison of the two texts - of course the picture book story is very much abridged. 

Verse Novel:

page 23 "Her mother called her 'Odder' from the moment she was born. Something about the way the little pup never settled, something about the way her eyes were always full of questions."

Picture Book:

page one "They call her 'Odder' from the moment she is born. Something about the way the little pup never settles, something about the way her eyes are full of questions."

Odder is saved by humans, they teach her the skills her mother would have passed on about swimming, and grooming and eating crabs. Eventually Odder is released back into the ocean but sadly she is attacked by a shark. Luckily, she survives and is rescued again.

"This time, though, she will never go back to the ocean. The shark bite has forever changed her. She can no longer move the way she was meant to move. She can no longer play the way she was meant to play." 

But there is something important Odder can do. Another pup has been rescued. The little pup is so helpless.

"Little one,' Odder whispers, 'I will teach you how to crack open crabs, and fluff up your fur, and use your tummy as a table.' ... 'But most of all, silly minnow, I am going to teach you how to play."

Bookseller blurb: Meet Odder, the Queen of Play! She twists, darts, weaves, and rolls, leaving frothy trails behind her. Why just somersault when you can triple-doughnut? Why dive when you can dazzle? Odder spends her days playing underwater and learning from her mother, until a storm changes everything and she is rescued by humans. Based on Katherine Applegate's bestselling novel, this lyrical story, inspired by a true programme pairing orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, explores resilience, healing, and the vital role of play through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved creatures.

In the US this picture book is published by Macmillan. 

I previously read and loved Odder - the verse novel. It spent over 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now University of Queensland Press have acquired the rights to Odder - the picture book edition.  Here is a quote from their Instagram page:

UQP is thrilled to announce that we've acquired the picture book edition of ‘Odder: An Otter's Story’ by Newbery Medallist Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso. Adapted from the middle-grade verse novel of the same title, the story follows a playful sea otter pup named Odder whose life is turned upside down when she is separated from her mother during a storm. It is a poetic and heartwarming tale of resilience, healing and wildlife conservation.⁠ UQP has acquired ANZ rights and will publish in May 2025.⁠

US cover

In my blog post about the original verse novel I said: The character of little Odder is sure to linger with you long after reading this warm-hearted story. I think this book would be terrific to read aloud or you could give it to any animal lover aged 9+. One powerful aspect of this storytelling is the way Katherine Applegate uses point of view. As a reader you really are right inside the head, heart and eyes of the young otter called Odder.

Here is the UK cover of the original verse novel:

UK cover

You are sure to be familiar with other splendid books by Katherine Applegate - if you click on the label assigned to this post you can read many of her other books.

Wishtree

Click here for a link to my blog post about the books in the Ivan series

Dogtown (book one); Mouse and his dog (book two)

Mouse and his Dog by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko illustrated by Wallace West

"A heart is a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it."

Think about this: 

dogs + robots + shedding a few tears + a happy ending for everyone = The Perfect Book

And this equation you can add a smart little mouse named Mouse who has a hugely compassionate heart.

If you have read the first book in this series you will remember the Reading Buddies Program run by Mr Molanari. In this second book kids still come to Dogtown - the home for stray dogs - and so you will cheer when you meet a young girl named Saanvi. She somehow knows there are special dogs who have been banished to the basement. These dogs are the rejects. They are not considered suitable for the Reading Buddy program and in fact many of them will be 'put on the list' (you might be able to guess what this means). The reject robot dogs also have a terrible fate awaiting them known as e-waste. Saanvi is drawn to Buster. He is a golden retriever but every time someone takes him home he accidentally messes up and he ends up being bought back to Dogtown. Mouse, his friend, is desperate to keep Buster safe. Surely he can go and live with Saanvi? Oh no - Buster's name is 'on the list' - there is no time - Mouse and his friends Stewie (another reject dog) and Smokey (a malfunctioning robot dog) must team up and get Buster away from Dogtown tonight!

Every dog lover needs to read this book or even better ask mum or dad to read it to all the family! No wait a minute - read the first book then this one - and get ready for a wonderful and very memorable reading experience from this sequel.

A few text quotes:

"I want to be one of those brave mice you read about in books. A mouse in a friar's robe brandishing a sword, a mouse in short sleeves paddling a canoe, a mouse in a pullover sweater who saves a princess."

"Bouncebacks are hard on dogs. They think they have a new home with balls and bones and doggy beds with their names on them, and then they find themselves back on the hard cement, with nothing to chase but their own tails."

"I'm fluent in Dog as you know. But dogs can't grasp the complex mix of screeches, squeals and squeaks of Mousespeak. So, I hold up my end of the conversation with my own personal sign language."

Publisher blurb: Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur. Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster; Stewie, a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean; and Smokey, a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control. But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

Listen to an audio sample. Read an extract here. And read the Kirkus Review.

Books mentioned in Mouse and his Dog

• The Borrowers
• If you Give a mouse a Cookie
• Stuart Little
• Junie B Jones
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Where the Sidewalk Ends
• The Tale of Despereaux
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Dogtown

This is what I said about Dogtown back in 2013 - and all of this is also true for Mouse and His Dog:

Every page of this book made me sigh with happiness. ... thank goodness I found Dogtown which I read in one gulp! This book would be a terrific class read aloud for Grade 2 or 3 and a wonderful book to share in a family - the chapters are mostly only one or two pages. I highly recommend you add this book to your library or Christmas book shopping list.

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko illustrated by Wallace West

"Your heart is a muscle. 

It just grows stronger the more you use it."

Dogtown, the home for stray dogs, is now home to Chance. Months ago, her loving family left for a sabbatical and they couldn't take their loved dog - Chance. The family did employ a dogsitter to look after her in their home but this girl did not love dogs and when her boyfriend moved in things became violent and unbearable for Chance. There are other sad details to this part of the story but I will let you discover these for yourself. 

As the story opens, we meet Chance she now lives at Dogtown. Luckily the Manager of the facility has quite quickly decided Chance is a lucky dog. She doesn't know that a tiny mouse (great friend to Chance) made sure this human would think Chance was special. So Chance is free to wander about Dogtown. She is does not have to be confined to a cage. This means she is the perfect narrator - able to describe the other dogs at the shelter and watch all the comings and goings. Unfortunately, this shelter also takes in robot dogs. You will laugh when you read that they even have fleas.

"Most of the robot dogs at Dogtown were known by their breed names: eDog, iDog, Aibo, RoboRover, or Pup1000. But those aren't real dog breeds like pug and pointers and Pekinese. Nothing is real about a metal dog. ... Besides a lot of them are in bad shape by the time they get to Dogtown.Tails broken, wires poking out, charger missing. Nothing sadder than a plugged in pooch who can't wag his own tail. He'd go straight to the e-waste heap." Hear this on the audio sample.

One of these robot dogs is very strange. He is not broken. He sits in his cage reading his instruction manual. Then one day some kids arrive at the dog shelter. They are part of a reading program and one boy, Quinn, is somehow able to bond with Metal Head. Over time the little boy learns to read his favourite book - Green Eggs and Ham. But then the book is destroyed and Quinn is no longer allowed to come to the shelter. It turns out one of the dogs - Buster - has chewed it up. Why? Because Metal Head has been given a top position in the shelter which means he, and other robot dogs, are likely to be adopted by loving families well before they choose a live dog. Bottom line - jealousy!

If a dog is left at the shelter for too long their name goes on a List. All of the dogs at the shelter love an old Saint Bernard named Geraldine. Her name is on the List. Metal Head seizes his opportunity. He makes a bargain. If he can ensure Geraldine is adopted, Chance and Mouse must help him escape. Metal Head is desperate to be reunited with his young owner James. The next scenes reminded me of the mayhem of Toy Story - I raced through these chapters hoping little Chance would find her all-important happy ending. Could there be a way Chance could find her precious family again?

Bookseller blurb: A story of kindness and finding a home. Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. When two dogs - and a mouse - embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way. ... Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since his owners unwittingly left him with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town. Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home. And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves. When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.

Every page of this book made me sigh with happiness.  I have been a small reading slump so thank goodness I found Dogtown which I read in one gulp! This book would be a terrific class read aloud for Grade 2 or 3 and a wonderful book to share in a family - the chapters are mostly only one or two pages. I highly recommend you add this book to your library or Christmas book shopping list. It has only just arrived here in Australia - October 2023 - in paperback so you are sure to easily find a copy in your local independent bookstore. Oh, and you do know I LOVE books about robots (and dogs too). 

I expected to see a Kirkus Star for this book but alas no.

Eminently readable and appealing; will tug at dog-loving readers’ heartstrings. Kirkus

I love it when books surprise me, as it doesn't happen often. The format of Dogtown threw me. ... There are definitely cute moments, but there's also a LOT more depth than I was expecting! It's definitely more of a middle grade book, and I'd give it to fourth grade readers and up. With the prevalence of ChatGPT, Metal Head's story will resonate with readers who question what it means to have feelings and emotions. Ms Yingling Reads

Short chapters and Chance’s snappy narration keep the pace rolling, but Applegate and Choldenko adeptly make space for gently poignant moments along the way. An accessible, appealing romp that provides a dog’s-eye view of the nature of hope, belonging, and found family. The Horn Book Magazine

Listen to an interview with Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. 

At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is that you write a book that, even if it’s just one child, they hug it to their chest and love it. It’s so important to be entertaining. ...  And so, if one kid picks this up and loves it and laughs and maybe thinks a little bit more about friendship and kindness, I think we’ve done our job. Katherine Applegate

Back in 2011 I read No Passengers beyond this Point by Gennifer Choldenko. Click here to see her webpage. It is wonderful that these two authors have collaborated to write this emotional, at times funny, truthful and warmhearted story about two dogs and a sweet little mouse. 

Other books by Katherine Applegate:

Look for these junior novels and picture books:

Choosing Crumble

Spunky tells all

Wondrous Rex

Let's get a pup!

Finding you

Stormy

Mutt Dog

Three

Charlie's Checklist

I Always Wanted one

And here are other books for readers aged 10+ that I highly recommend:

Sunshine

The Way of the Dog

Talking to Alaska

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate

"So, what amazed you today, sweet girl?"

"What filled you with wonder? What made you feel awe?"

Creed of the herd - "An elephant alone is not an elephant."

You are sure to have met Ivan (The One and Only Ivan) and perhaps Bob (The One and Only Bob) and if so I am sure you will really want to get your hands on this third book where we find out more about Ruby and how she came to be at the shopping Mall with Stella, Ivan and Bob and later how life is going for Ruby with the other elephants at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. 

Publisher blurb: Ruby’s story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob. Now living in a wildlife sanctuary, Ruby’s caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa where she grew up is visiting. Seeing him again brings back a flood of memories both happy and sad of her life before the circus, and she recounts the time she spent in the African Savannah to Ivan and Bob.

Listen to Colby Sharp talk about this book - his enthusiasm is wonderful. "I couldn't stop reading it but it was also hard to read at times ... It's just amazing what reading can do."

Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. ... Certain to steal hearts. Kirkus

Do you like the idea of book sets - I do. I am so happy to have all three of the books in this series sitting side by side on my shelf - The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob and now The One and Only Ruby. The covers all work together really well but oddly the spine on the newest book has a slightly different format.

Here are some text quotes from The One and Only Ruby.  I highly highly recommend this series for readers aged 9+. My post labels will give you some idea about the themes in this book - animal conservation, the ivory trade, animals in captivity and elephants. 

"Elephants use our tusks for all kinds of things. They help with eating and digging and playing and some times even fighting. They are so important that when your tusks arrive, elephants hold a special ceremony to celebrate the occasion."

"When I was a baby, I had a mom, too. I guess that's true of most babies. I don't have one anymore. I haven't had much luck when it comes to moms."

"Floppy running is the best kind of running because it happens when you are feeling good about the world and like you could almost fly if you weren't an elephant and also had some wings, because they would for sure help. When you floppy-run your ears and trunk and tail go wherever they choose. Your legs just kind of floats in the air and your feet skip along like they just heard a really good joke. Watch a baby elephant sometime. They love to floppy-run."

"There's a word elephants have for those who take care of us. We call them sentinels. A sentinel is someone who looks out for you. It can be someone who's part of your herd, of course, but it could be anyone. Sentinels can be your caretakers or your friends or your teachers or your neighbors. They look out for you. They understand you. They try to help you."

"We are not our best selves without kindness. ... We are not our best selves without wonder ... We are not our best selves without courage ... We are not our best selves without gratitude."

Read more plot details for The One and Only Ruby at The Book Muse. 

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Bob

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

Willodeen's mother, father and younger brother have been killed in a fierce fire. Willodeen now lives with two elderly ladies from the village - Mae and Birdie. They are kind and loving and they share their quiet wisdom with Willodeen while also giving her freedom to be herself.

The village of Perchance is a special place because every year hummingbears arrive to nest in unique trees found near the town - blue willow trees. Their nests are made using the leaves from these trees. The hummingbears chew the willow leaves and blow bubbles which they then stack into nests. Doesn't this sound magical. People come from far and wide to visit Perchance each year to see these small winged creatures and their nests and during this time the villages hold markets and fairs. This is their main source of income.

BUT (you knew there would be a but) there is another creature that lives in this area - screechers. Yes they do make a dreadful screeching noise, but worse than that, they spray a dreadful smell:

"The smell is hard to describe. Put a hundred rotten eggs in your mind. Then add some scoops of dead fish and a splash of skunk spray. You'll have a general sense of things."

Unfortunately a tourist has fallen victim to this dreadful stench and so the town council have offered a bounty for every screecher that is killed. Now go back and think about the balance of nature. The sceechers are nearly all gone, very few hummingbears have arrived, wildfires are more prevalent, and this year the village won't make any money from the visiting tourists. 

Willodeen cares for a small hummingbear with damaged wings which she names Duuzuu. She also acquires, in a slightly magical way, a baby screecher which she names Quinby. Willodeen is a scientist. She observes the behaviour of screechers and of course she knows, because of the bounty the screechers are nearly all gone. This year no hummingbears have arrived. She also notices Quinby loves one special food - peacock snails and peacock snails live under the roots of those blue willow trees. With all the hunting of the screechers, nature is out of balance but can Willodeen convince the council that she has solved this problem and that they need to stop killing the screechers. screechers, humingbears, willow trees and peacock snails are all connected. 

Willodeen has a wonderful friend in a boy named Connor. He is clever with crafts. He actually made a model screecher as a birthday gift for Willodeen not knowing Willodeen's tears would have a magical effect.

I have had this book on my to buy/to read list since I first saw it in 2021. The publishing industry is a mystery to me. The US hardcover edition of this book costs AUS$36 which was way beyond my personal book budget. Now the UK have published copy in paperback and it has arrived here in Australia for only AUS$15. The US publisher is Macmillan but luckily for readers in Australia this book has been found by Welbeck Flame from London. AND also luckily the cover was not changed because, apart from the wonderful author Katherine Applegate, it was the cover that first attracted me to this book. When you buy or borrow this book make sure you take time to read the quote from Greta Thuberg - you could use this as a way to introduce this book to your students. 

When I was a child my family used to rent a tiny garage sized holiday house. The house, as is often the way, had an odd and old collection of books on their shelves. One I read around age 12 was Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. All through Willodeen I kept thinking about the way nature is in a fine balance and the way Rachel Carson alerted the world to the ramifications of our human actions on animals, plants and habitats.  These are the huge themes explored in this book but they are explored in a way that is very accessible for younger readers aged 8+. 

Here is a delightful video where Katherine Applegate talks about Willodeeen.

The young folk and (of course) the animals are engagingly wrought in this tale with a strong ecological message. Kirkus

Katherine Applegate is the author of The One and Only Ivan and many other wonderful books including Odder and the book I recommend highly to everyone - Wishtree. You should also add her Endling series to your reading pile. 

Odder by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

Odder doesn't remember much

about her mother.

Pups are with their moms

for five months or so,

a year at most,

but Odder wasn't 

that lucky.

Still, she does recall

one piece of advice her mother

used to repeat:

Stay away from sharks.

Stay away from humans.

Stay away from all

that you don't understand.

Odder is a sea otter with a huge personality and a thirst for an adventurous life. But she could never have anticipated the adventures she will have in her life, the new friends, the things she will learn about the ways of the world and her connection with humans.

In her first adventure something happens to her mum. Odder is just a pup and she is rescued by the staff of an aquarium in California who run a sea otter research and conservation program. With their care and training she is taught how to be an otter - things her mother would have taught her if their time together had not been caught short. When Odder is released into the sea things go well at first but one day, as she is exploring with her friend Kairi, she goes a little too far and encounters a shark. Once again she is rescued and her destiny changes.

Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life. Kirkus review

You can hear a video interview by Colby Sharp with Katherine Applegate and a written interview with Children's Book Review. I also found an interview with The School Library Journal.

Odder is a verse novel by Katherine Applegate. You know I adore verse novels. The character of little Odder is sure to linger with you long after reading this warm-hearted story. I think this book would be terrific to read aloud or you could give it to any animal lover aged 9+. One powerful aspect of this storytelling is the way Katherine Applegate uses point of view. As a reader you really are right inside the head, heart and eyes of the young otter called Odder.  If you want to explore other books which are told using the form of a verse novel there is a link on my sidebar. 

One of the books I most often recommend and rave about is another book by Katherine Applegate - Wishtree (not a verse novel) but instead a book. a must read title for adults and children hence the two different covers.

Katherine Applegate is also the author of these breathtaking books -  The One and Only Ivan and sequels, and the Endling series:

The one and only Ivan

The One and Only Bob

Endling the Last

Endling the first

Ivan the remarkable tree story