Otter in Space
Common Sense says
- Sam Garton
- Picture Book
- 2015
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 Sam Garton's Otter in Space is the second book in the I Am Otter series and once again shows the creative, independent play of Otter and her best friend Teddy (a teddy bear) -- and all its messy consequences -- while Otter Keeper (the man who's kept her as a pet since he was a boy, as we learned in Book 1) is off at work. Here, Otter imagines she's taking a rocket ship to the moon to collect a moon rock, just like the one she saw in the space exhibition at the museum.
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What's the story?
While Otter Keeper's at work, Otter decides to rocket to the moon (actually the backyard) with Teddy. So she builds a space suit and rocket ship out of cardboard boxes and blasts off (from the top of the slide). Once there's an OTTER IN SPACE, she finds a moon rock (actually a garden boulder) and brings it back home. When Otter Keeper comes home and finds the garden torn up and a big dirty rock in the house, Otter Keeper has her take it back outside and adds "Do not dig up moon rocks" to Otter's do-not-do list on the refrigerator.
Is it any good?
Adorable Otter's imagination gets her mildly in trouble again in this delightful celebration of independent play and let's pretend. Otter's a great stand-in for a kid who gets carried away at make-believe. Otter Keeper is patient and tolerant and understands that Otter's just a creative self-starter whose heart is in the right place.
The wonderful illustrations are full of fun details and deadpan expressions on the toys Otter plays with and imbues with opinions and reactions as he narrates their play, even though Teddy, for example, looks comatose at all times.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about outer space. Would you like to explore in a rocket ship? Do you ever pretend you're on another planet?
Did you read I Am Otter? What do you like about the Otter character? Do you want to keep following her adventures?
Do you have a favorite toy that you take on imaginary journeys? How is that toy like a real playmate?
Book details
- Author: Sam Garton
- Illustrator: Sam Garton
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Science and Nature, Space and Aliens, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: May 5, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks
- Last updated: June 19, 2019
Themes & Topics
For kids who love picture books and animal stories
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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.