How to Save an Otter (Wildlife Rescue #1)

Drawing from her own volunteer experience, per an author’s note, Messner (The Trouble with Heroes) highlights themes of ecological conservation and wildlife preservation via this accessible series-starting chapter book. In an idyllic opening sequence that will captivate animal-loving readers, a baby otter and her siblings frolic near a pond (“Slide! Splash! Sploosh!”) until the baby otter, having lost sight of her brothers, hears “a deep growl from behind the trees.” Injured off-page by a predator, the otter is found by middle schooler Ivy, whose family volunteers as Critter Couriers transporting animals to the local wildlife hospital. As she aids in the otter’s recovery, Ivy simultaneously organizes a towel drive for her school’s Earth Day celebration and struggles to make new friends after her cousins move away. The straightforward plot is interwoven with interesting animal facts and dotted with adorable illustrations rendered in softly shaded b&w by Bricking (Like a Boss). Characters are shown with varying skin tones. Publishing simultaneously: How to Save an Owl. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Assoc. (Sept.)