Lovely book for young readers which would make an excellent addition to any classroom or home bookshelf.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

I Am Oliver the Otter is an adorable picture book for children about a sweet little otter called Oliver. Oliver is a solitary animal, but when he meets Ottilie, his life changes. I loved the illustrations and the message that is told through the story for children. At the end of the book, there are facts that any inquisitive child will absolutely love and which will answer any questions about the book that they may have too. If this book doesn't make you fall in love with otters, nothing will.

I initially thought it would just be a beautiful story about an otter, don't get me wrong it definitely is but it is so much more then that!

@nicolaobyrneillustration beautiful illustrations alongside Pam Ayre's thoughtful words are the perfect pairing.
Really thoughtful rhyming to grab the readers attention.

There are brilliant facts - Did you know that otters close their ears and nose when they are swimming? I didn’t!
You learn about who are in the otter family… some may come as a surprise to even an adult! The book also explains about different types of otters such as river and sea otters.

It also has an information double page spread at the back of you missed any of the key information in the text.

Highly recommend everyone read this wonderful book. I need to get a physical copy when it is published to share with my small humans who I know will love it as much as I did.

Oliver, a solitary otter, enjoys swimming and scampering along the waterways. His life changes when he encounters an otter named Ottilie among the green rushes. Their bond grows into friendship and eventually parenthood, changing Oliver's once solitary existence.

I am Oliver the Otter intermingles poetry and facts to foster discussions about nature, conservation, and the significance of maintaining clean waterways. It encourages readers to think about how human actions can affect wildlife and underscores our responsibilities towards preserving their natural habitats.

Enchanting bit of education for animal lovers.

Me and my two (12 and 6) have just finished Wild Isles and are making inroads with Attenborough's back catalogue. So Natural History is definitely in vogue in our house, and a picture RHYMING book for the youngest is just perfect.

O'Byrne is a wonderful illustrator of her own work, and brings beauty to Ayres' work as well, realistic and colourful scenes and characters that readers will love to look at.

A rhyming account of the life of Oliver, a river otter. The rhymes flow as beautifully as Oliver through the water, and there's so many facts I didn't know (the name of otter poo for example, or that otters in the sea hold hands to stay together when sleeping).

The reminders of the impact humans have on animals is welcome one as well, for the next generation that might have the hardest work to do of all.

Brilliant, and I hope there are more Riverbank Tales coming along these lines for other species.

For ages 4-10.

With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.

I
Oh what a treasure, what a delight, A book by Pam in all its might.
Its colour, its cover for the young to discover
Of nature and an otter, through pages we trotter! (sorry I’m not in Pam’s league as you can see!)
I found this by chance and being a lifelong fan of Pam couldn't resist reading it as something a little different. The illustrations are wonderful and a joy (done by Nicola O’Byrne) where younger ones can see and be pointed to the pictures perhaps as the story is read to them. Pam’s love and care of nature shines through the pages to tell the story of Oliver where both young and old alike can learn more about these fascinating creatures. There’s a section at the end where there is more concise information about them and how that rivers being ever more polluted means that suitable habitat is becoming more and more difficult for them to find.
A delight of a read for children of age 3-90 to enjoy.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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(amazon posted- misfits farm)

As if fact-minded rhyming books for kids had been her stock in trade all her life, this is Pam Ayres writing to us from the point of view of an otter, probably in a river in England. I could expect a rhyming book from her, of course, and reading this out loud it was impossible to not drop into her accent, or variation thereof at least. What I didn't expect was the ease with which all the nature notes and factual information were included within the verse, to such an extent the prose spread at the end to tell us about the critters seemed repetitive and redundant as a result. This really has a wonderful way with easing a lesson about otters into a readable verse, whose rhymes and rhythm are spot on throughout. Oh, and if you think I'm avoiding the issue, I'm not – the artworks are just as perfect.

A lovely poetic picture book with sweet beautiful illustrations. My class will love spotting the scientific knowledge in amongst the fun characteristics of the otter. Important messages of wildlife protection, delivered in a child friendly and clever way.

A lovely, rhyming story with beautiful illustrations, which is full of information. It's a good addition for any EYFS or KS1 setting. Thanks to the author and Macmillan Children's Books

A lovely new addition from Pam Ayers, all about lovely otters of all kinds! A perfect picture book for young nature lovers.

A beautifully told and illustrated story with a clear message about respecting our natural world. I learnt a thing or two about these playful creatures too. Would highly recommend for children.

Goodness, firstly I'm old enough to know who Pam Ayres is - and it's impossible not to think of her voice when reading this book! I also know she is a campaigner for our countryside and it's animals.
The story of Oliver is filled with fact about otters and their lives but as it still reads like a story. The children will be learning without realising! It is beautifully illustrated and will be a fantastic book in any primary school library or class. I will definitely be looking to buy this book!
Read it!

I utterly read this in Pam Ayre's own voice, which added to the delight!

This is a really lovely picture book, with beautiful illustrations and facts woven into the rhyming lines. It would be an ideal gift for any small child (or grown up otter lovers!)

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

My six year old boy & I adored this little story of Oliver.

The book is so beautiful with colourful illustrations that captured my little one's attention through out! Apart from the cute story of Oliver & Ottilie, the book throws spotlight on the habitat loss of these wonderful creatures which really made us sad & worried.

Furthermore, the book helps educate us about the life of otters with several fascinating facts about them.

It also raises awareness among kids about the environment, pollution & destruction of the natural world, that resulting in the dwindling numbers of these species of aquatic animals. Highly relevant to the current times.

Overall I high recommend this lovely book for children!

A sweet book that caught my eye for 2 simple reasons:

1. The beautiful cover.
2. My son’s name is also Oliver.

This is a book I would buy for my own children and I love how it teaches about otters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for sending me this DRC, I absolutely loved it.

I am Oliver the Otter is a wonderfully educational book, with beautiful illustrations, all about the lives of otters.

From where they live to what their spraints (poo) looks like. From their webbed feet to how humans are putting pressure on their survival.

This is the perfect book for any nature nerd or budding wildlife enthusiast - I highly recommend!

Oliver is an otter who lives in the riverbank. Like most otters, he is a solitary creature until he meets a lady otter called Ottilie and the rest, as they say, is history!

This wildlife book by the wonderful Pam Ayers has a serious message gently told
and is lovely to read aloud. The illustrations by Nicola O'Byrne is just glorious, and the combination of poet and artist has produced a book any child, or adult who likes to read to others, would love to own.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a beautiful book which is highly recommended and will have a special place on my bookshelf.

Queen of rhyme Pam Ayres has written this glorious children's tale set in our wild and wonderful riverbanks.

We start with Oliver, an adorable boy otter, sat proudly on the picturesque riverbank during a sunny, blue-skied day. He proceeds to show us what he gets up to in the river, diving and looking for food. We even meet his cousins, the mustelids - what a fab word for little ones to try out and learn! (They are some other animals in the same group of species as otters.)

We see that Oliver is on his own, he doesn't mind it, but sometimes he feels lonely. Then one day Oliver finds Ottilie, a pretty girl otter. They become friends and have a terrific time playing together. Soon, Oliver and Ottilie become parents!

We learn so much from this charming story about otters, from their habitat and pollution (boo!), to their food and homes, their babies, and even their poo!

The story has thoughtful and poignant messaging about looking after rivers, animals, and nature as a whole.

We loved that at the end is an 'All About Otters' section, which contains many otter facts related to the story.

The tale flows wonderfully with the rhymes and beautiful illustrations. It is a heart-warming, gentle, feel-good read.

A perfect bedtime story.