Otter Goes to School

After learning that her adult Otter Keeper did all his best learning at school, Otter knows exactly what to do: start a school of her own. She’ll be the teacher, naturally, which requires a costume change, complete with a “special teacher dress,” a “beautiful teacher purse,” and a “friendly teacher face.” In math class, Otter writes down all the numbers she knows (“No one could work out what to do after that. So everyone just took turns holding the calculator”), and students Giraffe and Pig earn gold stars for excellence. Finding Teddy’s talents takes a bit more work, but by book’s end all of the characters are assured of their scholastic (and teaching) abilities. As in Otter’s previous books, Garton’s wry sense of humor and richly detailed artwork generate a steady steam of laughs. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency. (June)