Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners

by Laurie Keller, Laurie Keller (Illustrator)

Overview

"Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you."—Socrates (the Greek philosopher), circa 470-399 B.C.

Mr. Rabbit's new neighbors are Otters.

OTTERS!

But he doesn't know anything about otters. Will they get along? Will they be friends?

Just treat otters the same way you'd like them to treat you, advises Mr. Owl.

In her smart, playful style Laurie Keller highlights how to be a good friend and neighbor—simply follow the Golden Rule! This title has Common Core connections.

Do Unto Otters is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312581404
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	14,850
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laurie Keller is the acclaimed author-illustrator of Arnie, the Doughnut, The Scrambled States of America, and Open Wide: Tooth School Inside, among numerous others. She grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, and always loved to draw, paint and write stories. She earned a B.F.A. at Kendall College of Art and Design, then worked at Hallmark as a greeting card illustrator for seven-and-a-half years, until one night she got an idea for a children's book. She quit her job, moved to New York City, and soon had published her first book. She loved living in New York, but she has now returned to her home state, where she lives in a little cottage in the woods on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Keller's (The Scrambled States of America) latest offers lessons in the social graces, featuring Mr. Rabbit and his whiskery new neighbors, the otters. "I don't know anything about otters," the pink-eyed, pink-nosed protagonist agonizes. "What if we don't get along?" At this, a bookish owl pops in from the margin with an apt take on the Golden Rule: "Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you." Hmmm...," muses Mr. Rabbit, "How would I like otters to treat me?" When he opines, "I'd like otters to be polite," a gray otter in polka-dot shorts demonstrates how to say "please" in five languages (counting Pig Latin), then does the same for "thank you" and the indispensable "excuse me." Later, the smiling otters "co-otter-ate" and help friends move a heavy log. Even disagreements can be managed. Keller loads her acrylic-on-paper images with comical asides and tangential conversations, and goggle eyes, rubbery smiles and rounded teeth suggest her cast's goofball personalities; no mistaking them for Little Lord Fauntleroys. Without prescribing perfect etiquette, Keller serves up sound, friendly advice for maintaining a peaceable kingdom. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-3
Mr. Rabbit is worried that he might not get along with his new neighbors. A wise owl gives him the advice, "Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you" and proceeds to explain what this means. Thus follows a listing of traits and qualities such as friendliness, politeness, honesty, consideration, cooperation, and sharing. Each one contains humorous examples of Mr. Rabbit and the Otters following those rules. Also included are samples of how to say certain phrases such as "Excuse me" and "Please" in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Pig Latin. Each page bursts with colorful illustrations and is scattered with words of different sizes and fonts. This simple story is certain to appeal to children.
—Donna AtmurCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

When a dubious rabbit discovers his new neighbors, a family of otters, a helpful owl prompts him to think about ways to ensure they'll all get along. "Treat otters the same way I'd like otters to treat me? . . . I'd like otters to be friendly. A cheerful hello, a nice smile, and good eye contact are all part of being friendly." Being polite, saying thank you and excuse me, being honest and considerate and cooperative all follow as traits and behaviors the rabbit would like to see, accompanied by examples of each, setting the stage for amicable neighborly relations. Keller's animals cavort across the page in a pleasingly varied design, the humor in their bug eyes and big noses helping to keep the tone light. Aiding this is a generous helping of silliness in the examples of good behavior-included among the enumeration of considerate actions is "helping neighbors untangle ears." While kids may well have encountered the Golden Rule elsewhere, this explanation and elaboration nicely unifies what might otherwise seem like a dreary list of manners. This lively book is anything but. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Keller serves up sound, friendly advice for maintaining a peaceable kingdom.” —Publishers Weekly

“Each page bursts with colorful illustrations and is scattered with words of different sizes and fonts. This simple story is certain to appeal to children.” —School Library Journal

“While kids may well have encountered the Golden Rule elsewhere, this explanation and elaboration nicely unifies what might otherwise seem like a dreary list of manners. This lively book is anything but.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Author Laurie Keller thought for a long time about writing a book on the topic of treating each other with kindness. The result is a production that celebrates the Golden Rule as it features playful otters, their rabbit neighbors, and Keller's enlightening, humorous asides. Jack Sundrud opens the recording with his catchy “Doo-Dee-Doo Song” and moves into the action of the story with alacrity and high energy. His supporting narrators chime in delightfully with chatty tidbits and humor aplenty as the rabbits work out how to "doo-dee-doo unto otters as you would have otters doo-dee-doo unto you." An interview with the author and a track of Sundrud's song complete the recording. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

OCT/NOV 08 - AudioFile