Seababy: A Little Otter Returns Home

When a baby otter is separated from his mother on a stormy day and washes ashore, rescuers take him to an aquarium, where he lives in a pool with “his new mom.” Following her example, he learns to search for food at the bottom of the pool and to break open shells on rocks. Finally, he is ready to go back to the wild. “That night, surrounded by new friends, he wrapped himself in seaweed and went to sleep. And so the little otter returned home to the rolling sea.” Van Zyle sets the furry, expressive otter against a light-infused, impressionistic landscape as he adapts to his changing surroundings. Both text and illustrations strike a graceful balance between naturalism and anthropomorphism. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)