A touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, from Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of Wishtree.

Meet Odder, the Queen of Play:

Nobody has her moves.

She doesn't just swim to the bottom,

she dive-bombs.

She doesn't just somersault,

she triple-doughnuts.

She doesn't just ride the waves,

she makes them.

Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practising her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she's known. She's a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself – and about the humans who hope to save her.

Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature's most beloved and charming animals.

Katherine Applegate (Author)
Katherine Applegate is the author of The One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal. Her books have been widely acclaimed and New York Times bestsellers. She lives in California, USA, with her family.

Charles Santoso (Illustrator)
Charles Santoso has illustrated several picture books as well as fiction. He has worked at Animal Logic as a concept artist / art director and has been involved in various animated feature film and TV commercials. His work has been exhibited in Sydney, North America and France.