Otto's Orange Day (Toon) [Hardcover]

Jay Lynch (Author), Frank Cammuso (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Toon

“[A] high-quality comic that is both loads of fun and easy to read…[S]ure to engage a new generation in the art form; kids will want to read it once, then return to it again and again.” – Booklist (starred review)
 
When Otto the cat meets a magical genie, he knows just what to wish for: he makes the whole world orange! At first, this new, bright world seems like a lot of fun, but when his mom serves orange spinach for lunch, Otto realizes that his favorite color isn’t the best color for everything. Fixing this mixed-up world won’t be easy, though, because Otto already used up his only wish. To save the day, Otto will need his family’s help, some quick thinking, and…a pizza? Two master cartoonists collaborate to bring all the fun and magic comics can offer to early readers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–Two veteran cartoonists collaborate to create a comic-strip-style book for beginning readers. Otto, an orange cat, receives a mysterious lamp from his aunt. While dusting it off, he releases the genie that resides within and is offered a wish as a reward. Otto declares that he would like everything in the world to be orange, his favorite color; however, after his wish is granted, the results–including a bad-tasting orange lamb chop and an orange-only traffic light that causes car accidents–soon cause him to have second thoughts. With the help of Aunt Sally Lee, Otto outsmarts the genie and sets things right. Each page features one to four panels, and the bulk of the story is told through dialogue balloons. The cartoons are lively and colorful. Clear chapter divisions, a clean graphic design, and large-size print make this title more appropriate for early readers than most comic-book offerings. Still, true beginners may have trouble with some of the vocabulary and struggle to follow the narrative flow. Offer this to book readers with a bit of experience under their belts and an interest in comics and cartoons.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
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About the Author

Jay Lynch, who wrote Otto’s story, was born in Orange, NJ, (honest, ORANGE, NJ!), and now lives in upstate New York with his wife, his dog, and way too many cats. He is the founder of Bijou Funnies, one of the first and most important underground comics of the Sixties, and for many years wrote the weekly syndicated comic strip, Phoebe and the Pigeon People. He has helped create some Topps Chewing Gum’s most popular humor products, such as Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids.
 
Frank Cammuso, who drew Otto’s adventure, lives in Syracuse, New York, where he is the award-winning political cartoonist for the Syracuse Post-Standard. He is the Eisner-nominated creator of Max Hamm Fairy Tale Detective, selected as one of the Top Ten Graphic Novels of 2006 by Booklist, and is at work on Knights of the Lunch Table, a middle school version of King Arthur and his Knights. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice and Slate.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Toon Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979923824
• ISBN-13: 978-0979923821
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.4 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: Otto's Orange Day, April 26, 2008

By 

T. Jonker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Otto's Orange Day (Toon) (Hardcover)

Possibly the most frustrating situation I encounter in my work as a school librarian is when I run into the one track kid. These youngsters have a genre/subject that must be present in the books they read. Scary books, truck books, princess books, funny books - the list goes on. I usually do my best to find some titles in their topic of choice, but this type of reader can be picky. "Otto's Orange Day" is for every kid who is set in their ways and could use a nudge toward a broadening of horizons. Buy two copies - it's a page-turner that beginning readers will likely wear out from dangerously high levels of enjoyment.

Otto (a cat) has a favorite color - orange. If he had his druthers, the whole world would be one big orange explosion. One day Otto receives an orange oil lamp from his Aunt, and a genie appears to grant his wish. Just like that, everything is tangerine. It starts out great, but Otto soon learns that some things are better off in full color. Food, for instance. And traffic lights, they are different colors for a reason. It's also handy to be able to describe someone as something other than orange, especially if said person is a fugitive from the law. Pretty quick, our hero is a bit spooked and looking for ways to change things back to the good ol' days of brown colored lamb chops. That task proves to be difficult, since the genie only grants one wish. Otto must use his wits to bring back the Technicolor.

The illustrations are suitably cartoonish in style, with heavy outlines and vibrant colors. The dialog is spoken using word bubbles. As for the way the book is put together, much love to Françoise Mouly. I dig the design. I'm always a sucker for paper on board covers. The title has this cool floating effect that I like. The cover art shows glimpses of panels, letting the reader know that they're about to read a comic-style book. In other words, it looks like fun. This is one that kids will be drawn to and proud to carry.

Having read a few of the new TOON Book releases, I'll concur with the masses of critics that have already weighed in on the subject by saying that "Otto's Orange Day" and its kin are going to make a lasting impact on young readers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect book for early readers, July 9, 2008

By 

Saskia Leggett - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Otto's Orange Day (Toon) (Hardcover)

"Otto's Orange Day" is a rare treat -- geared towards young readers, the book offers simple vocabulary and stunning graphics to keep kids engaged and, more importantly, pleased with their reading experience. I gave the book to my 7 year old cousin for his birthday, and he LOVED it -- the combo of comic book pleasure reading and fun, rhyming vocabulary was perfect for him. And, he completely understood the moral of the story. This book would be a fantastic gift for any young reader (and any parent yearning for beautiful presentation to accompany nightly readings).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff!, April 11, 2008

By 

Charles J. Conroy "Father Cat" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Otto's Orange Day (Toon) (Hardcover)

I have had the privilege of seeing advance copies of all of the new Toon Book titles, and I must say they are exactly what I have been waiting for.My five year old son is fascinated by comics, but I've had a difficult time finding any that are age-appropriate. I've had to resort to ordering vintage comics from the 50s and 60s online.

"Otto's Orange Day" is great fun! Josh loves the colors, the internal rhymes, and the playful layouts. He feels that he's reading "grown-up" books. Already, he has remembered certain words and wants us to read it together every day.As a comic lover myself, I find that this book is fun for the both of us. Highly recommended! More, please!