Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com

Contemporary picture book for preK-1st graders
Little Otter as main character
Rating: Preschool and young elementary children will really understand the way Little Otter feels in this book. And I just love Hoyt’s illustrations. This team is a dynamic duo!

Short, short summary: Little Otter is having an utterly otterly day, of course. What does this mean? It means he is having an adventure on his own. He is big enough to do many of the things he has been waiting to do his whole life, but he was too small to do them. This is all fine and dandy until he meets an animal that would like to have Little Otter for supper. Find out how Little Otter can still be an individual with this family to help him along the way!

So, what can I do with this book?

1. You can have a discussion with your child or your students about what parents mean when they say, “Stay close.” Why do parents say these types of things to their children? Ask students to talk about when it is important to stay close to their parents, like at an amusement park or the grocery store, and when it is okay to be by themselves for a while (like in their backyards). Ask students to draw a picture of your discussion, and write a sentence to go with the picture. For example, students could draw themselves on their swingsets without parents, and then on the other half of the paper, draw themselves at the zoo, holding their parents’ hands.

2. This book has a lot of fun read aloud parts for a shared reading experience. Even the title–Utterly Otterly Day, along with all the sound effect words that Casanova has included in the text. Read this book more than one time with your students and have them repeat with you the fun, playful text!

3. This book shows the habitat of an otter. You can use this book to talk about a river habitat and the animals and plants that live in it. You can also talk to your students or your child about otters and if they think they would see an otter in their backyards. Some children have probably seen otters at the zoo or at aquariums. Let them share these experiences with you.

If you have used this book with your students or your children, please leave a comment here and let us know how it went!

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com

Picture book for PreK-2nd grade students, contemporary
Young girl as main character
Rating: I fell in love with this story and the cute, brilliant illustrations!

Short, short summary: A girl sets out with her dog to go on a canoe ride. Soon a beaver asks if he can join them, and she explains that it is a one-dog canoe. However, the beaver doesn’t listen, and he gets in for a ride. The pattern continues for the poor girl and her dog in their “one-dog canoe” as it becomes a one-dog, one-beaver, one-loon, one-wolf, and so on canoe. What happens when the tiny frog decides to jump in? That’s when the real canoe fun begins. The illustrations are funny and show the facial expressions of the girl and the animals with details that we could all relate to! What a fun book with repetitive language that all kids will love!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Ask your students to chant along with you when you are reading this book aloud. The best parts to chant are when the girl is explaining that this is a one-dog, one-beaver, one-loon canoe and so on. Ask children to add more animals, and write them on chart paper. Then add them to your chant such as one-cat, one-eagle, one-mouse canoe. Have fun with the repetitive text!

2. This is a terrific book to work on prediction skills with young students or children. After an animal asks to join the canoe trip, ask your students what they think will happen? Will the canoe tip? Will it start to sink? Once you get their answers, turn the page and study the text and illustrations to see if the students are correct with their predictions. You can also ask them why they believe in their predictions. What clues are in the text or illustrations to help them with their guesses?

3. You can talk to your students about why the author chose these animals for her book. The story is set in a river or lake, so the animals that want to enter the canoe all live in this habitat. Ask students what would happen if the story changed setting to a tropical beach, and the canoe was like the ones pictured at the beginning of this post. Would the animals change that the girl and her dog would meet? What are some of the animals that live in an ocean or beach habitat?

If you have used this book with your child or your students, please leave a comment here and tell us what you did! For more information about various children’s books, visit the blog: Youth Services Children for Westchester Library System.

If you have an idea of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com