Otis and the Puppy

Lovable Otis the tractor, the little calf, and their farm friends are back--this time frolicking in a game of hide-and-seek. This story brings a new acquaintance--a wriggling puppy--and a new adventure when the puppy hides just a little too deep in the forest and Otis has to rescue it--despite being afraid of the dark. Chris Sorensen's steady, calm voice is perfect for young listeners. He provides pauses for listening enjoyment as the little calf hides in a thicket of wildflowers and the bull hides behind a haystack, as well as adding a bit of suspense to the moments in the forest. Sorensen's puppy vocalizations and Otis's signature puffs and chuffs add just the right sound effects. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

May 13, 2013
Otis, the doe-eyed tractor who befriended a lonesome calf and squared off against a tornado in his first two books, now takes an adorable puppy under his muffler. New to the farm, the long-eared pup is petrified to sleep alone in the dark: "With a chuff, Otis invited him into the barn, where the puppy curled up and fell fast asleep. From that night on, the puppy would slink from his doghouse into the barn with Otis, where he felt safe." But when the puppy wanders away and doesn't return by nightfall, Otis's protective instincts kick into high gear and he careens into the darkness, his headlight producing only a meager glow in the vast, rural night: "He circled and crisscrossed the forest, making sure to see every possible place a puppy could hide." Long's gouache and pencil illustrations in burnished metallic tones recall rustic, Depression-era farm life. By his third adventure, this earnest tractor's courage in the darkest hours makes him as reliable as Lassie or the Little Engine That Could. Ages 3â7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

August 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 1-Otis the tractor is back for a third adventure. Familiar animals from the previous books, including Otis's friends the calf and the bull, play hide-and-go-seek after chores each day. The new puppy joins the fun, but gets lost during a game one evening. After the farmer ends the search for the day, Otis's concern is reflected in the illustrations and the narration as the tractor worries about the puppy, who is just as afraid of the dark as he is. Set against a backdrop of stars and a shadowy forest populated with the silhouettes of animals lurking in the woods, Otis counts through his fear before turning on his headlight and motoring around the woods seeking his new friend. As his familiar cadence proceeds, Otis gains more confidence. When he finds the puppy, those scary shapes become a crowd of familiar onlookers-deer, rabbits and raccoons-cheering on the puppy and the tractor to a successful conclusion. Chris Sorenson's narration maintains the warm tone of the story. Page-turn signals are optional. Listeners may want to linger over Long's illustrations and are likely to enjoy the story multiple times.-Janet Thompson, Chicago Public Library, West Belmont Branch, IL

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