Otto the Book Bear
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