Customer Reviews

Ottoline Goes to School

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The best kids' books are ones that entertain and delight, compelling young readers to finish the story, relate emotionally and wonder at the marvels between the covers. Truly fantastic kids' books challenge young readers to think about the world (and themselves) in new ways. When OTTOLINE GOES TO SCHOOL arrived in the mail, I knew I held in my hands a book that did all of the above.

In this second Ottoline book, written and illustrated by Chris Riddell, Ottoline is still living in the Pepperpot building, mostly far from her parents who are traveling collectors. She and her best friend and guardian, a Norwegian bog creature named Mr. Munroe, are strolling through Pettigrew Park and Ornamental Gardens one Tuesday morning when they meet an interesting young girl named Cecily Forbes-Lawrence III, who is with her Patagonian pony, Mumbles. Cecily, like Ottoline, is apart from her parents much of the time. Her father was busy in banking and her mother at the Big City Museum of Modern Art. Cecily has to schedule bedtime stories with her parents' secretaries well in advance. Ottoline and Cecily bond over their orphan-like existence and love of fanciful stories. But Mr. Munroe grows jealous and feels ignored.

His feeling of isolation grows stronger when Ottoline decides to follow Cecily to boarding school, and Mr. Munroe has to live in the pets' quarters with a toucan, a small hairy elephant, an invisible dog, a robot and Mumbles. Mr. Munroe's thoughts are never expressed in words as Riddell doesn't give him any dialogue, and in fact, only a bit of his eyes shows as most of his body is covered in long shaggy hair. It is a testament to Riddell's skill and artistry that though he never talks, Mr. Munroe is perfectly easy to understand.

Though Ottoline has never been to school before, she is excited to join the handful of other students at The Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted. She is eager to discover her own different gift. But her classes, such as Paper Folding, Advanced Musing, Seeming, Being and Whistling Choir, don't seem to help in that direction, as fun as they are. The Wright Sisters are talented at aerial flower arranging and the Sultana of Pahang at curtain origami, but Ottoline worries she will never find out what her own different gift is.

On top of her academic dilemma, Ottoline, along with Mr. Munroe, is working to solve a mystery at the school: things are going missing, and students are being gently sabotaged and warned to leave the school. Could it be one of the school's many ghosts? Or is there a living culprit behind the haunting? Just as they brought down the sinister Yellow Cat in OTTOLINE AND THE YELLOW CAT, Ottoline and her Norwegian sidekick plan to solve this mystery as well.

Once again Chris Riddell succeeds in marrying a fun and quirky mystery to his charming, detailed and strange line drawings. Ottoline is a fantastic character, as lovely to look at as she is fun to cheer on. She is clever, stylish, kind-hearted and odd; the kind of character who, like all the best ones in children's literature, are full of energy and totally unforgettable. OTTOLINE GOES TO SCHOOL is a great addition to this new series; its blend of whodunit and magic are sure to draw in curious young readers.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

I am the mother of a 6 year old and teach second grade. At home and at school the Ottoline stories are a hit. They are absolutely delightful stories that I can't recommend highly enough. I am just sorry that you have to order Ottoline at Sea from the UK - which I did. I hope that there are plans for more stories.

Ottoline Goes to School continues our heroine's adventures. Ottoline befriends a girl at the park whose tall tales intrigue her. When her new friend Cecily must return to a school for the "differently gifted" Ottoline asks her parents if she can go, too, to discover her different gift!

One interesting aspect of this tale is Ottoline's unawareness of the feelings of her devoted friend and caretaker Mr. Munroe, who becomes hurt by Ottoline's bond with her new friend/her lack of awareness of his feelings. Many parents may relate to this in their own way, remembering the twinges felt at various ages as children become more independent and focused upon peers; children may gain sensitivity to the need to not forget old friends when we gain new ones.

An unexpected delight in the story relates to Ottoline's parents. While they are still traveling the world, they continue to make painstaking efforts to ensure that she is well cared for and aware of their love and guidance. In contrast, Cecily's parents (whom she lives with) neglect her emotional needs. The exaggerations of each family are very amusing and useful, leaving space in-between to honor all of our diverse family arrangements if they are graced with love.

Children should read Ottoline and the Yellow Cat first, then enjoy this fun, gorgeously illustrated story on their own or as a bedtime chapter book. Recommended.