Baby river otters (pups) are born in the spring in dens of abandoned beaver, muskrat, or woodchuck dens. Among the most charming of all animals, river otters open their eyes at five weeks and begin a lifetime devoted to play, a pursuit which they never outgrow.

This book follows the development of a litter of three pups from birth through their first year. The text is in two sizes: the large tells a straightforward story about the adventures of the three pups. The small gives interesting, scientific facts about river otters; and there is a short essay about otters in general at the end. The gently humorous, watercolor illustrations of otters flow across double page spreads as fluidly as the otters themselves. With a brown and blue-green palette, the format, and the lovely thick paper, everything about this book is first-rate.