Review: Otter Goes to School, by Sam Garton

9780062352255

$17.99

Oh, Otter (shaking head fondly). In true Otter style, Otter doesn't actually GO to school, he starts his OWN school. Because, as he says, "I knew a lot of people who weren't nearly as clever as they could be." Things are going swimmingly, with lots of gold stars for everyone, until Teacher Otter realizes Teddy is upset. He doesn't have ANY gold stars, because he isn't good at ANYTHING. 

Dramatic self doubt ensues. Parent Teacher conference is called. And all works out just fine in the end, because, of course, it's Otter.

Otter never fails to remind me of my own kiddos, and this one made me chuckle at the way he gets SO into his own imagination that he upsets himself. (Like a certain child who had a fit because someone dumped all her imaginary candy on the floor and refused to pick it up again.) Garton's pictures are both quirky and realistic - who knew you could make a stuffed bear with no eyes look so morose? A crowd pleaser for both kids and adults!

Giving as a gift? Pair it with a big stack of school supplies, of course! Head over to the dollar store and pick up some fun items from the teacher section - desk labels, wall maps and inspirational posters, reward stickers, workbooks, etc. Then be prepared to find yourself one of the students!

Review: Newer Halloween Picture Books

9780062366665

The stories and illustrations in the Otter books are always squee-worthy. And a book with end pages covered in candy? Who wouldn't like that?! As usual, Otter has SO many things to do to get ready for Halloween - pumpkin selecting, decorating, and of course making sure everyone has a scary costume. But, what happens when Otter decides the trick-or-treaters are just a little TOO scary? Will she have to hide under the bed with Pig for the rest of the night? A fun little read for any child, but especially one who might not be too sure about those other ghosties and goblins.

9780062368973

It's Halloween, and Splat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. Unfortunately, he's just too much of a scaredy-cat. He's afraid of a little spider, and everyone says his costume looks more silly than scary. And when Mrs. Wimpydimple tells a ghost story in the dark, Splat gets so frightened that he tips over his jack-o'-lantern. But when the lights go back on, the entire class is scared silly by a small, black, furry creature with a big pumpkin head. Whooooo can it be?

Another one along the same vein, children will find it easy to laugh at Splat's goofy facial expressions, and parents may identify with Mother, drily agreeing that, yes, Splat is pretty scary.

9780062229168

Parents will also identify with the search for the perfect costume (this year I had to come up with a lovable devil, Go-Go from Big Hero 6, a gardener, Teddy Roosevelt, Hulk, and a red Lego.) Witch's Cat goes through a rainbow of costume ideas before coming up with a pretty clever one at the end. Adorable, seemingly 3D illustrations you want to run your finger over, this may also inspire a Halloween scene art project.