Otto the Book Bear [Hardcover]

Katie Cleminson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 31, 2012 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

Otto lives in a book and is happiest when his story is being read. Otto is no ordinary storybook character: when no one is looking, he comes to life! Otto loves to walk off of his book’s pages, but when his book is taken away while Otto is off exploring, the book bear sets off on a grand adventure to find a new home.

Except...it's an awfully big world for such a small bear and Otto misses his warm book. Will Otto ever find the perfect home?

With sweet, timeless illustrations and a story that will have young readers watching their bookshelves in hopes of spotting wandering book creatures, this charming story is sure to delight book lovers everywhere.   

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Otto the bear lives in a book, and he is happiest when performing his literary role for the young readers of the house. But when his story is placed back on the shelf, the adventuresome bear, in a whimsical stroke of metafiction, likes to climb out of its pages and go exploring. The trouble starts when the family moves away and inadvertently leaves Otto’s book behind. In a refreshing twist on this familiar trope, resilient Otto packs his book bag and heads out to find himself a new home. After a tough time in the bustling, indifferent city, the ursine little fellow stumbles upon a place “full of light and hope. You guessed it—the library. Spacious white backgrounds put the book’s winsome art deservedly front and center and highlight its distinctive black outlines and soft washes of color and shading. The unadorned text fits nicely with Cleminson’s varied compositions. A charming, gentle celebration of books and libraries. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Kristen McKulski

Review

"With colourful, bold-line illustrations, this is a charming story for age three and up" -- Mary Arrigan Irish Examiner 20110709 "The thickly inked illustrations surrounded by lots of white space have an uncluttered, simple look that is appropriate for young readers ... A sweet tale" -- Martha Simpson School Library Journal "Cleminson, selected as one of Booktrust's Best New Illustrators for her lovely, inky line, subtle sense of colour and child-friendly playfulness, has produced an ideal story for communicating the magic of reading" -- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times 20110814 "Katie captured the judges' imagination with her dreamy illustrations" Guardian 20111022 "There's something genially old-fashioned about it all. Otto endures hardship and adventure (including the brush-off he receives from a pair of alley cats) as he flees his old existence and finds new sources of companionship. In this case, the animal adrift ends up with fellow story characters as well as with human readers, who, as they will in real life too, want to keep Otto around" -- Pamela Paul The New York Times 20120125 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423145623
• ISBN-13: 978-1423145622
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.5 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What if?? February 5, 2012

By J. Prather TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I have been a fan of this author/illustrator for quite some time. Her book The Magic Box has been a story time staple for me since its release. My expectations for Otto The Book Bear were sky high, and luckily, this charming book did not disappoint. It tells the story of Otto, a bear who lives in a book "on a shelf in a house..." who has a very unique talent. Otto likes to step out of his book and explore! All is well and good until one day Otto is left behind. He doesn't like being alone, so he sets off on an adventure that eventually leads him to a new home where he finds some rather unexpected friends.

I've seen plenty of picture books which detail what happens when book characters come to life, teddy bears become animated, or a child's doodles jump off the page ready to play. The characteristic most of these books share is that when the characters hop out of a child's imagination, they are larger than life. A beloved character becomes a giant playmate, ready to protect or entertain. In this case, Otto steps off the page on his own, tiny in a world of giants. Children don't really play a role in this story, other than at the beginning and end when they are seen enjoying Otto's storybook. The reader truly feels that they are witnessing something special that no one else can see. This perspective leads to some great storytelling as we follow tiny Otto to his ultimate destination - the library!

The perfect length for preschool story time, kids will also delight in the charming illustrations that depict Otto doing things like practicing his writing on a giant typewriter, reading his favorite stories, and trying out the librarian's date due stamps! They will smile as they see Otto peering up at what seems like a gigantic shelf of books, wonder at his bravery as he travels along rooftops and roadways, and grin along with him as he discovers new friends. Cleminson's thick lined, simple depictions of Otto in no way diminish his expressiveness, and only add to his charm.

This is a wonderful choice for any young child's personal collection, and is simply a must have for any story time leader or preschool classroom. I will admit that the little kid in me gasped just slightly when I first saw Otto step out of his book. Point to any kid who enjoys a good story, and I guarantee that at some point that kid has wondered "what if book characters could really come out of the book?" Cleminson does a wonderful job of answering that question for the preschool crowd.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a must for library collections February 2, 2012

By C. Johnson

Format:Hardcover

This book is charming - perfect for a read aloud story time. The illustrations are whimsical and the bear's adventures provide just enough interest before the happy ever after ending (which will warm any librarian's heart!). Children will warm to the bear's efforts to find a welcoming home.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Read! February 25, 2012

By Beverly L. Archer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

What I liked about this book: I LOVE this book. In fact, this might be my new favorite picture book. It's about a bear and a book - two of my favorite things. The illustrations are brilliant. They look like a combination of either pen and ink or water color. I wouldn't mind having them framed for my library walls. Young children will love the idea of a book character coming to life at night. The happy ending makes it an all around good read. This is an excellent read aloud. I will be ordering this for my school's library.

What I didn't like about the book: I absolutely LOVED it all.

Recommended for pre-school and older.

AR Book Level: 2.6