Leisurely rhymes ask what would happen if an otter followed some children home ("If that otter gets thirsty / will you get him / some punch? / What if that otter / wants popcorn / for lunch?"). The frivolity is tastefully illustrated and tinged with a serious but not-hectoring message about letting wild animals live in their natural habitats.

PreS-Gr 1 Wargin and Bendall-Brunello team up again, this time asking their young readers, "But what if that otter/jumps out of the water?/Would you shout hip-hooray?/Would you ask him to play?/Would you clap?/Would you stomp?/Would you go for a romp?/What if that otter jumps out of the water?" The comical story continues as the mischievous creature follows two children home and begins to cause trouble. Wargin includes plenty of jaunty, interactive rhymes, making this story an excellent read-aloud. Bendall-Brunello's illustrations are colorful and droll, matching the humorous tone of the text, as does the font, which is as bold and energetic as the impish otter. Children will laugh along with its playful antics and particularly enjoy the surprising and appropriately silly ending, in which the otter's whole family arrives to cause even more hilarious mayhem. Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY