Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Otter plays teacher, gains confidence in reassuring tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In OTTER GOES TO SCHOOL, Otter hears that to be "clever," you need to go to school and learn things. So while Otter Keeper is at work, she sets up a school for her toys and dives into her costume box and emerges as "the best teacher ever." She puts on her "friendly teacher face" and leads them in math, music, story time, and lunch, giving out gold stars for high achievement (even to herself). But when Teddy feels sad that he isn't as good at things as the other students, Otter waits to have a "parent-teacher meeting" with Otter Keeper when he gets home. Once they move into art class, Otter begins to feel better -- and so does Teddy.
Is It Any Good?
By expressing her own fears and anxieties through the inanimate toys around her, Otter gets a handle on her feelings in this reassuring tale about playing school. Give her a gold star for emotional intelligence.
Otter Goes to School reinforces the joys of imaginative play while also giving young kids a glimpse of classroom routines. It's perfect for little ones heading off to kindergarten who might worry that other students will be better at things than they are.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Otter Goes to School shows in a fun way the kinds of things that go on at real school. What's similar? What's different?
Otter feels bad that Teddy doesn't like school because the other students are better than him at everything. Have you ever felt that way?
Do you ever play school at home? What's more fun, playing student or teacher? Why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Sam Garton
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Arts
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : June 14, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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