Otter Doesn't Know

Part of the “Coast Salish Tales” series, Otter Doesn’t Know is an entertaining story accompanied by beautiful Coast Salish art. Featuring an otter and a salmon learning about the power of friendship, this picture book deftly works cultural information into an entertaining read that young children will certainly enjoy.

Thuqi’ the salmon and Tumus the otter serve as the main characters of the story. When Thuqi’ is lost, she asks Tumus for help. Too busy, he brushes her off. Later, they meet again, and Tumus has the chance not only to redeem himself, but to make a new friend. In addition to the character’s names, a number of words throughout the story are in Hul’q’umi’num’, a Coast Salish language spoken on and around Vancouver Island. Writer and illustrator Andrea Fritz is, herself, a Coast Salish storyteller from the Lyackson First Nation.

One nice feature of the book that will make it more accessible to those who are unfamiliar with Hul’q’umi’num’ is that the language guide comes at the front of the book rather than at the end. This placement allows readers to prepare themselves for the words they will be encountering throughout the story. There are definitions of each word, along with phonetic pronunciation. Further, there is a guide to indicate how certain sounds are meant to be pronounced (for example, explaining that the apostrophe is a glottal stop). Fritz also contextualizes the history of her journey to becoming a storyteller by including a brief family history before the story.

An author biography states that Andrea works in both traditional and digital mediums. This story appears to be done digitally. It has clean lines and vibrant colours that make it very easy to parse the images and action, even when there are lots of lines and detail. Those who are familiar with Coast Salish art will recognize its distinctive forms and style. Andrea’s illustrations are not only beautiful, but she lends a strong sense of personality to her characters, making them expressive, and more relatable to readers.

Otter Doesn’t Know is not only a celebration of language and culture, it is also a fun and beautiful picture book that explores the evergreen themes of friendship and forgiveness. This is a strong first purchase for school and public libraries and would make a great read-aloud for children of many ages.