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What If There Were No Sea Otters?: A Book About the Ocean Ecosystem
The ocean ecosystem is huge, covering most of our planet. Countless animals and plants live there. So what difference could the loss of one animal species make? Follow the chain reaction, and discover how important sea otters are.
Audible Audio
First published August 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Slade
172 books129 followersSibert honoree author of more than 150 books for chlldren.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 27, 2010
What if there were no Sea Otters? is an entry in a well-written children’s series focusing on keystone species. The books emphasize that if a particular wild animal were to disappear, the entire ecosystem would collapse as a result.
The author notes that while sea otters have some natural predators, human activities are by far their greatest threat. The text discusses the effects of ocean pollution, and mentions the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The illustration on this page shows two sea otters tangled in fishing nets, but the image is not overly graphic. The author sums up the book with,
So what would happen if sea otters became extinct? A lot! One small change, such as the loss of sea otters, can make a big difference in the lives of countless plants and animals. That’s why it’s so important to take care of our ocean ecosystem.
A section at the end offers simple environmental tips.
The author notes that while sea otters have some natural predators, human activities are by far their greatest threat. The text discusses the effects of ocean pollution, and mentions the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The illustration on this page shows two sea otters tangled in fishing nets, but the image is not overly graphic. The author sums up the book with,
So what would happen if sea otters became extinct? A lot! One small change, such as the loss of sea otters, can make a big difference in the lives of countless plants and animals. That’s why it’s so important to take care of our ocean ecosystem.
A section at the end offers simple environmental tips.
March 11, 2016
I wanted to do this book for my preschool story time, but we ran out of time. I enjoyed it, and thought it would be short enough to keep the kids' attention. There are a lot of optional boxes of text that you could incorporate or easily cut out depending on how the room is acting. The book takes a complex concept like keystone species and boils it down to a simple, easy to follow, logical story for kids.
August 31, 2017
This book is a very good representation of how the food web works in congruence to the Sea Otter's life. The illustrations are very powerful in the way that they black out all of the sea creatures affected if there were no sea otters. Great book for a lesson about food webs, in which one could read the entire "What If There Were No..." series. The book also has many good features for learning including it's "it's critical" boxes within the pages and also a glossary in the back for students to look up words they don't understand.
December 12, 2023
Bu seride dört kitap var. Keşke daha fazla olsaydı da okuyup okutabilseydik herkese.
Su Samurları'nın ekosistemdeki yerini, neyle beslendiğini, olmasaydı neler olurdu diye senaryoları, okyanus dünyasına sunduğu katkıları ve diğer canlıları öğrenmiş oluyoruz. Büyük boy, renkli çizimlerle süslü bu kaliteli baskı minikler tarafından sevilecektir. Okuma yazma bilmeyenlere de farklı hikâyeler uydurma imkanı veriyor resimler. Tavsiye ederim.
Su Samurları'nın ekosistemdeki yerini, neyle beslendiğini, olmasaydı neler olurdu diye senaryoları, okyanus dünyasına sunduğu katkıları ve diğer canlıları öğrenmiş oluyoruz. Büyük boy, renkli çizimlerle süslü bu kaliteli baskı minikler tarafından sevilecektir. Okuma yazma bilmeyenlere de farklı hikâyeler uydurma imkanı veriyor resimler. Tavsiye ederim.
August 30, 2017
This book has great facts about sea otters! On almost every page there is a little box that says: It's Critical, and it explains more facts about the topic talked about on the page. This book has a glossary and an index at the back for additional help. It also has many other resources available in the back of the book.
September 12, 2017
This book talked about how important sea otters are in the ocean ecosystem. I really enjoyed reading about the variety of different things found in ocean ecosystems. The book discusses a variety of things from what sea otters eat, to their weight, to what eats sea otters, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and hope to use it in my future classroom.
April 17, 2019
This was a sweet, engaging, "bite-sized" read aloud that my class of 4th graders loved. The illustrations do an excellent job of showing the effects of others being removed from an ecosystem and the language is accessible but scientific. Can easily be connected to all studies of humans' environmental impact, food webs, and animal adaptations.
September 1, 2017
Loved how the author blacked out pictures of what would not be in this world without sea otters! I learned a lot about the ocean ecosystem.
April 21, 2021
Very good book about sea ecosystems with direct evidence
January 9, 2022
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October 11, 2016
What If There Were No Sea Otters? focuses on the importance of keystone species within an ocean ecosystem. In this entry-level book, the author considers the extinction of a predatory species and contemplates repercussions such as population explosions and trophic cascade. These ideas, although not explicitly mentioned, are accompanied with powerful illustrations that help children truly imagine the frailty that ecosystems have and our duty to protect them. The illustrations are breathtaking. The amount of detail that went into each plant and animal is truly an ode to each organism. Using bold color illustrations, the author cleverly depicts the vibrancy of underwater ecosystems in a clear and accurate way.
This book takes a simplistic look at the ramifications of what would happen if a keystone species became extinct from one of earth’s ecosystems. Although it does not fully engage with every population in an ocean ecosystem, its content is based on sound scientific principles. It is also accurate because the research the author used was obtained by real life scientists who studied the effects on an ecosystem when sea otters were hunted.
This book also fosters the development of processes such as observing, sorting and classifying, predicting, and inferring. At the start of the book, the author and illustrator include a simplified, comprehensive food web that provide students with the opportunity to sort and classify organisms as producers, consumers, prey, or predators. With this knowledge in mind, there are multiple points of entry where the teacher can ask students to observe the environment and determine for themselves what kind of relationship organisms have with one another. The author then poses the question “What would happen if sea otters became extinct?” The following pages then illustrate parts of the ecosystem and blackout affected populations. This allows students to predict and infer which populations might be affected when one population is wiped out. Children are encouraged to think for themselves because the author explicitly asks the readers to answer questions throughout the book. Teachers can use these questions to guide them through the read aloud as well as help them ask a series of in-depth questions that relate to the guiding questions. (Author says: What would happen if sea otters became extinct? Teacher says: What would happen if kelp went extinct? (Refers to food web)
Refer to this link http://coolclassroom.org/cool_windows... if you want to incorporate a technology component! It’s an interactive food web game that allows students to place organisms in their proper places on the food web.
This book takes a simplistic look at the ramifications of what would happen if a keystone species became extinct from one of earth’s ecosystems. Although it does not fully engage with every population in an ocean ecosystem, its content is based on sound scientific principles. It is also accurate because the research the author used was obtained by real life scientists who studied the effects on an ecosystem when sea otters were hunted.
This book also fosters the development of processes such as observing, sorting and classifying, predicting, and inferring. At the start of the book, the author and illustrator include a simplified, comprehensive food web that provide students with the opportunity to sort and classify organisms as producers, consumers, prey, or predators. With this knowledge in mind, there are multiple points of entry where the teacher can ask students to observe the environment and determine for themselves what kind of relationship organisms have with one another. The author then poses the question “What would happen if sea otters became extinct?” The following pages then illustrate parts of the ecosystem and blackout affected populations. This allows students to predict and infer which populations might be affected when one population is wiped out. Children are encouraged to think for themselves because the author explicitly asks the readers to answer questions throughout the book. Teachers can use these questions to guide them through the read aloud as well as help them ask a series of in-depth questions that relate to the guiding questions. (Author says: What would happen if sea otters became extinct? Teacher says: What would happen if kelp went extinct? (Refers to food web)
Refer to this link http://coolclassroom.org/cool_windows... if you want to incorporate a technology component! It’s an interactive food web game that allows students to place organisms in their proper places on the food web.
April 23, 2013
This non-fiction picture book takes a look at the implications of a world without sea otters. The book begins with colorful illustrations depicting the ocean ecosystem. There are many forms of life co-existing together. The author describes the food web of the ocean and the role that the otter plays. Halfway through the book, the illustrations leave a blank outline of an otter in the ocean. The author then describes what would happen if there were no otters. Slowly, the pages become blanker as only outlines of the life forms remain on the page. The ocean ecosystem falls apart. After, the author describes some ways that children can help stop the threat to sea otters and avoid their extinction. Lastly, there is a glossary of key terms used in the book.
This is an excellent resource for children to learn about the extinction of otters. The illustrations work well with the words so that children watch as the ocean ecosystem slowly falls apart. Some of the vocabulary used is difficult, such as food web, reintroduce, and keystone species. There is a glossary in the back if there is any confusion. Children will feel empowered at the end of the book because they can use the simple tips given to them to help protect the otters.
This is an excellent resource for children to learn about the extinction of otters. The illustrations work well with the words so that children watch as the ocean ecosystem slowly falls apart. Some of the vocabulary used is difficult, such as food web, reintroduce, and keystone species. There is a glossary in the back if there is any confusion. Children will feel empowered at the end of the book because they can use the simple tips given to them to help protect the otters.
June 8, 2016
Good idea--terribly written. The illustrations help prove the point, but the writing is abominable!!!
August 23, 2016
Very informative and a fun way to learn with my kids!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews