by Aimee Tallian (Author), Peter Jones (Illustrator)
By teaching young children how the natural world works, we can create a generation that understands and appreciates the environment. The Our World of Wildlife series shares environmental and ecological concepts in a fun, approachable, and educational way. The first book in the series, Sophie the Sea Otter, tells the story of Sophie, an otter who lives happily in a kelp forest in the ocean. When she and her friends are driven out of their home, however, their absence has disastrous results for the kelp forests that provide food and shelter for so many other species. Our planet is an intricately balanced ecosystem, and the sea otter/kelp forest system exemplifies how apex predators help structure their environment. This book includes an educational For the Parents section, where parents can learn in a little more detail about the extirpation of sea otters, and how their subsequent restoration has helped bring back kelp forests, increase biodiversity, and provide catch for local fishing industries.