OTTER GOES TO SCHOOL

Otter is back, and she knows some “people who aren’t as clever as they could be,” so it’s off to school.

After all, attending school is how Otter Keeper learned so many things. So, once he leaves for work, Otter gets everyone ready, brushing Giraffe’s, Teddy’s, and Pig’s teeth, getting backpacks and lunches ready, and getting everyone into the car—one of those ubiquitous red and yellow plastic toy ones; Pig and the lunch box are strapped to the roof. Otter settles everyone at school and says goodbye. “This part was a bit sad.” But luckily, they have “the best teacher ever”: Otter herself, in her teacher dress and red glasses. Each of her students excels at something and receives gold star stickers, except for Teddy—he’s not good at anything, and Otter feels like a failure as a teacher. (Hilariously, the illustrations show the battered, loved-to-flatness Teddy prone on the floor for most of the day.) But Otter Keeper (a blond, white adult) has some good advice when he gets home—everyone’s good at something; you just have to find it. Luckily, Teddy does in the last lesson of the day. Garton’s Otter is adorably roly-poly and just realistic enough to differentiate her from her stuffed pupils, and her droll expressions are spot-on.

What adventure will Otter have next? (Picture book. 4-8)