Another brilliant Big Sky adventure!

Rosa and Grandma Nan go off on another adventure when they see a flare in the sky and realise that someone needs help. They venture to the coast and find sea otters needing help with a beach covered in rubbish.

This was a perfect story for sharing together with lovely illustrations and a great message of conservation. The animal friends of Rosa and Nan are brilliant and add real humour to the story. The small size, heavy paper, large text and simple illustrations make these books perfect for early readers who are just moving on to chapter books and want to feel grown up with their book choices.

One of those very early-reading novels where a completely coherent plot and world don't really matter, this seemed perfectly enjoyable for the target audiences. I never found out (this being book three of four) why Rosa lives with her Nan in a lakeside shack under Big Sky Mountain, nor how most of the animals in this world can talk. Anyway, what was important was the story, which features a mission for the two human females – and to no surprise, a pet or two of theirs – to the ocean coast two days' hike away, when they spot an emergency flare being sent up. They get to meet the titular sea otters, learn about marine plastic, be charitable to a critter when all his kind aren't, do this, do that, meet this, that and the other, and save the day. Yes, a lot gets tied up at the end, but to an adult eye some of this still feels breathlessly random – in much the same way as the illustrations have a kind of characterful rough-and-readiness. Still, this is all about the brio, and the achievement of having finished a whole novel for the target reader, and both are definitely present – and pleasant.

Having read other books in this series, this was exactly what I was expecting it to be. The familiar characters go on a rescue mission which also manages to highlight the important issue of plastic pollution but in an age-appropriate way. I love the combination of pictures and short bursts of text which make this series perfect for my reluctant and less-confident readers. I look forward to adding this to our school library.

The Big Sky Mountain books are always so cute and sweet, and The Beach Otters was no exception.

In this story, Rosa is trying to fix Grandma Nan's old radio when she sees a distant flare, and sets off on an expedition with Grandma Nan to Toe-Dipper Bay to investigate. We get to see a new part of Big Sky Mountain this time, with this trip to the coast, the beautiful bay, the old lighthouse and a collection of islands. All of it is beautifully described, and cleverly named, and I love seeing this whole area being sketched out book by book.

We meet a team of very cute otters, seaweed farmers happy to help Rosa and Nan with their rescue mission, and a whale who does an enormous poo! Always humorous, obviously, but Alex Milway gives it more importance by emphasising its significance in the ecosystem. This isn't just toilet humour, this is toilet humour with an environmental message!

We meet an old friend, in need of rescue, some wonderful crabs, some very greedy puffins and despite some mild peril, everyone is saved. It's also great to see the characters of Albert the Moose, Little Pig the Owl and Stick the Wolf pup getting some more time in the spotlight.

As well as the adventure, there's also an important environmental message, as with all of the Big Sky Mountain books. This one is focused on the impact of littering, and really shows how devastating plastic pollution can be.

It's incredibly readable, packed full of beautiful illustrations, some forming part of a scavenger hunt.

With adorable art, wonderful characters and an environmental message, The Beach Otters is another impressive Big Sky Mountain book for young readers.