ARTS: Otter’s Story, Jenny Knowles and illustrator Gervase A. Gregory

AFTER watching otters at play at the New Forest Wildlife Park, local author Jenny Knowles and illustrator Gervase A. Gregory have joined forces to create a new children’s book called Otter’s Story.

Published by Little Knoll Press, the beautifully illustrated story reveals the journey of Otter growing up, from the early spring when she was born, through to her first summer playing in the river with her sister and brother. Then comes the cold, lean months of winter followed by the next spring and summer.

Jenny says Otter needs this period of nearly two years to learn from her mother the skills which will help her become independent.

The gentle story reveals how to use her senses under water to find food, how she learns to make a snug home called a ‘holt’, and how she keeps safe from humans, badgers, foxes, domestic dogs and other otters that might wander into her family’s territory.

Jenny said: “She needs to be able to catch enough food for herself in the plenty of summer and in the hard times of winter.”

Otter’s Story was inspired by Simon Cooper’s book The Otters’ Tale, about an otter family which frequents his mill pond to play and hunt for food. Simon invited Jenny and Gervase to visit the water mill, where they explored the banks of the chalk stream and Gervase sketched the surroundings.

Gervase then went to New Forest Wildlife Park to sketch Eurasian otters in real life – snoozing, swimming, fishing, playing and clowning around, as otters do!

Otter’s Story is published by Little Knoll Press. The book costs £4.99 and is available from several New Forest shops and from littleknollpress.com

For more information email jenny@littleknollpress.co.uk