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Otto & Uncle Tooth #1

The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost

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Illus. in full color. Is there a ghost loose in Boogle Bay? Young Otto the alligator and his Uncle Tooth find out in a funny, high-spirited whodunit for beginning readers.  


From the Trade Paperback edition.

48 pages, Library Binding

Published February 24, 2004

1 person is currently reading
98 people want to read

About the author

Geoffrey Hayes

87 books26 followers
Geoffrey Hayes has written and illustrated over forty children’s books, including the extremely popular series of early readers Otto and Uncle Tooth, the classic Bear By Himself, and When the Wind Blew by Caldecott Medal-winning author Margaret Wise Brown.

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5 stars
60 (38%)
4 stars
53 (33%)
3 stars
35 (22%)
2 stars
8 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Lilith.
Author 1 book1 follower
February 7, 2019
4-star rating because I loved it as a kid.

I finally found it! This was probably my favorite book in Kindergarten. I checked it out from the library at least ten times. The illustrations were nice, too.

Wait, they're alligators? I always thought they were tiny dinosaurs! My life is a lie!
Profile Image for Sara C.
43 reviews2 followers
December 30, 2022
I have loved this book since I was a kid! It always made me smile and laugh! It is a kids’ book that is full of suspense and excitement! I will always love this book ❤️
14 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2008
Candice knows this book REALLY well- ask her to quote from it. Michael does too, but I think that he threw it out the window and the ambulance ran over it--I'm not sure...
Profile Image for Yoshinobu Yamakawa.
287 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2024
This book is a children's mystery by Geoffrey Hayes. The setting is a fictional place called Bogle Bay. The book depicts the fun adventures of the main character, Otto the alligator, and his uncle, Uncle Toothless.

One day, Otto and Uncle Toothless witness the presence of a ghost in the town of Bogle Bay. The people around them are also terrified of the ghost. Driven by curiosity, the two try to unravel the mystery of a series of inexplicable events.

The highlight of the film is the interesting mystery that unfolds. It describes actual events step by step and involves the reader in the story. What exactly is the secret behind the unidentified entity known as the Ghost? The excitement and joy at the moment the mystery is solved was exceptional.

This book is so detailed and interesting a mystery that it is hard to believe that it is a work for children. I laughed at the unique behaviors of the characters and became engrossed in the mysteries that came one after another. On the way to the end of the book, I felt as if I was reading a mystery novel.

From adults to children, this is a quality work that everyone can enjoy.
1 review
May 30, 2020
A wonderful, engaging mystery-adventure book for young people. I found this book by chance, was intrigued, and now it's my son's favorite book - we are collecting the whole series! This one's a keeper!
Profile Image for Allison Maddox.
179 reviews4 followers
October 17, 2025
I loved these books as a kid! I remember thinking they were so long and being really intrigued by Otto’s adventures. It’s interesting rereading them as an adult and seeing it as so much simpler. They’re really cute stories!
Profile Image for رضوى أحمد عيد.
Author 34 books222 followers
September 14, 2025
قصة لطيفة عن أوتو وعمه أنكل توث اللي بيطاردوا شبح القرصان اللي بيسرق محل الحلويات بتاع عمته وحبل غسيل القبطان وبيعيث فسادًا في المنطقة 😄
2 reviews
January 22, 2026
My son thinks the book is entertaining and a good mystery book.
He recommends this book.
Profile Image for Imafelma.
3 reviews
October 13, 2021
I really enjoy read this book. Sometimes i feel like, back in the days when i was child and obsessed about read, writing and story telling. And you know what, the illustration and the cast name was so cutee!
Profile Image for J9.
2,294 reviews132 followers
November 12, 2013
A book my 6 yr old loved, a little old for my preschoolers. A solid reading level 4 book, this reader has a good amount of advanced vocabulary words, but not so long that it discourages a new reader. Used it for his read out loud book, which was perfect. It took about 20 mins for him to read and had just enough new vocabulary words to make it challenging. Also, it was a fun and interesting story he could get into. He liked it so much, he asked for more by this author. Great reading book!
Profile Image for Joy.
570 reviews
January 24, 2011
Cute story with entertaining names. My 4yr old laughed out loud at the name Captain Poopdeck Doodles.
There was mention of a character with a cigar and at the pool hall the Widow Mole serves beer.
100 reviews
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April 28, 2011
This is a transitional book suitable for about the second grade but I would not use it in my classroom. They talk about smoking cigars and I do not want to promote smoking. As well as some of the pictures had the "ghost" holding a gun.
Profile Image for Anna.
1,930 reviews8 followers
January 5, 2013
A funny little story about a mysterious ghost who creates a lot of mischief in a seaside town. Otto and his Uncle Tooth lead the villagers in a hunt for the culprit. Is it really the ghost of the dead Pirate Blackeye Doodle?

Purchased for Bryce and Sean at the BX on our Christmas visit.
24 reviews
November 29, 2016
I was never a fan of mystery books as a child, but I loved reading these books! As I read this book once again, I can see why I loved them so much as a child! They are truly hilarious and full of much suspense. Any child who reads these books will always be caught by surprise at the end.
1,393 reviews14 followers
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December 31, 2013
AR Quiz No. 7384 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.8 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, RV, VP
Profile Image for Elizabeth Meadows.
1,997 reviews314 followers
March 29, 2016
I read this to my daughter. It was a cute kid friendly mystery with a moral and a lesson learned at the end. This would be a good book for emerging readers.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews