Parents' Guide to Otter Loves Easter!

Otter Loves Easter! Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Regan McMahon By Regan McMahon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Otter learns to share in cute holiday tale.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

OTTER LOVES EASTER! begins when Otter wakes up on Easter morning to find Easter eggs, chocolate eggs, a gold-foil-wrapped bunny, jelly beans, and more at the end of her bed. She shares the tally with Otter Keeper, the man she lives with, who insists that Otter share the haul with her friends. "But sharing is very hard," Otter reflects. "Because eating chocolate is very easy." By the time Otter Keeper calls her to breakfast, Otter has eaten all the candy and feels sick. "All the eggs were in my tummy, and my friends hadn't gotten any." She decides someone has to "save Easter," so she puts on some bunny ears and becomes "the Easter Otter!" She decorates and hides eggs for her friends to find, and they have "the best Easter egg hunt ever!" Then, says Otter, "to say thank you," Teddy, Giraffe, and Pig "did something very kind. They decided to share their eggs with me."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Once again, Otter is cute and vulnerable in this charming story about how hard it can be to share. Otter Loves Easter! gives a holiday twist to Otter's struggle not to be selfish -- and gluttonous. With the help of Otter Keeper and her stuffed animals, which she relates to as if they were friends, she learns her lesson.

As usual, the illustrations of Otter and her toys are irresistible. Especially adorable is the image of Otter in fluffy bunny ears and cottontail. An extra nice touch: pastel yellow, lavender, and turquoise Easter egg-patterned endpapers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the imaginary play in Otter Saves Easter!. What kinds of games do you make up with your toys?

  • Why is it important to share with your friends? What can happen if you don't share.

  • Have you ever eaten so much candy you felt sick? Why is it hard to stop?

Book Details

  • Author : Sam Garton
  • Illustrator : Sam Garton
  • Genre : Picture Book
  • Topics : Holidays
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Balzer + Bray
  • Publication date : January 24, 2017
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
  • Number of pages : 32
  • Available on : Hardback
  • Last updated : September 30, 2025

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Otter Loves Easter! Poster Image

What to Read Next

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.

See how we rate