School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Fans of Otter will be pleased to see the pint-size creature going on a new escapade. While her guardian, Otter Keeper, is at work, Otter dresses up as a teacher and decides to school her stuffed toys. Giraffe excels at math, and Pig shows off his talents during music class, but what about Teddy, Otter's stalwart companion? When Otter realizes that Teddy feels like he isn't good at anything, her spirits sag-until Otter Keeper encourages her to have more faith in herself as an educator. Garton employs mild pastel colors and plenty of white space, giving his digitally rendered illustrations a soft, gentle quality. Otter herself is utterly charming, and images of her sporting her teaching outfit, complete with glasses and a pearl necklace, will have kids and adults cooing with delight. However, the tone never veers toward the cloying, and there's genuine wit that comes from the contrast between Otter's self-assured narration and the reality of the situation. Adults will appreciate Garton's wry sensibility as he spoofs well-known moments of the school routine (taking on the role of the weepy parent before class begins, Otter muses, "I made sure everyone was settled in, and then I said good-bye. This part was a bit sad."). Beneath the humor, though, there's a true understanding of children's fears, and Garton offers simple but sincere reassurance. VERDICT A wonderful storytime offering to soothe back-to-school blues; Otter devotees and newcomers will savor this one.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
After learning that her adult Otter Keeper did all his best learning at school, Otter knows exactly what to do: start a school of her own. She'll be the teacher, naturally, which requires a costume change, complete with a "special teacher dress," a "beautiful teacher purse," and a "friendly teacher face." In math class, Otter writes down all the numbers she knows ("No one could work out what to do after that. So everyone just took turns holding the calculator"), and students Giraffe and Pig earn gold stars for excellence. Finding Teddy's talents takes a bit more work, but by book's end all of the characters are assured of their scholastic (and teaching) abilities. As in Otter's previous books, Garton's wry sense of humor and richly detailed artwork generate a steady steam of laughs. Ages 4-8. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
