Otter carries on

Little Otter floats belly-up above waving seaweed, always clutching in both paws a collection of treasured rocks. Little Otter's friend Little Puffin and the adult otters are worried: how will Little Otter swim, catch food, or fluff up their fur to stay warm? "I know what I'm doing," Little Otter responds stoutly. Tatsukawa (Mole Is Not Alone) creates softly colored, digitally finished multimedia spreads divided horizontally at the waterline, the better to see what happens above and below. When a storm carries Little Otter out to sea, the rock collection stays safe until whales begin to cavort around the protagonist: "MY ROCKS!" The stones begin to sink, and suddenly, with paws free, Little Otter finds it possible to do new things--the very things the others suggested might be possible. The graceful movement of waves and water, speech balloons that present the story in dialogue, and the low fear factor--the whales whose play knocks the rocks from Little Otter's paws are friendly and helpful--all enliven this buoyant story about accepting the advice of others versus finding out for oneself. Ages 4--8. Agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Feb.)