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Otter Goes to School
Common Sense says
- Sam Garton
- Picture Book
- 2016
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Otter Goes to School is another book in Sam Garton's I Am Otter series, about an adorable Otter who lives with her Otter Keeper and plays with her toys (stuffed animals and a robot) in imaginative ways. This time, she decides to create a school for them at home, with her as teacher, so they can learn to be as "clever" as Otter Keeper. A fine choice for kids heading to kindergarten that will acquaint them with school routines and ease their jitters about other kids being better at school subjects and activities than they are.
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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: Sam Garton
- Illustrator: Sam Garton
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- 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, iBooks, Kindle
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.