Otto Goes to School

by Todd Parr

After a breakfast of juice, cereal, and a banana split, Otto goes to school for the first time, where he makes new friends and learns how to wag his tail without knocking things over.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Back To School, Dogs, Childrens, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2005

About the author

Todd Parr is a three-time New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of more than fifty books for children. He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful, and powerful messages such as “be kind”, “love yourself” and “be who you are,” all set with vibrant images in eye-catching primary colors. His books have received numerous awards and are available in nearly twenty languages. He also is the co-creator of the popular three-time Daytime Emmy©-nominated animated TV series, "ToddWorld" with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment. Several short films for Sesame Street have also been based on Parr’s work.

Parr devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fundraiser for The Ronald McDonald House and serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. His corporate collaborations include Best Buy, Stouffer’s, and the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank, among others.

A native of Wyoming, Parr currently lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for a young child who is nervous about their first day of school. Very short, sweet, and funny. My favorite part is the picture of Otto and the other dogs as “He learns to wait his turn for the bathroom.” 😆

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the colors in this book!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The students enjoyed this book. Love the colors and the silly parts.They really like the picture of the author with his real life dog on the back!

[Literate Duck · Rating 5 out of 5]

dog goes to school, fun academia, worries about what others will think/ say of him, peers are all different from him and that's how it is

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otto's life is full of odd idiosyncrasies. Eating a banana split with your breakfast cereal, sure. Being the only person on the schoolyard wearing clothing? That's where this reality breaks down. At least Cool Kitty and Noodle Poodle have some sense.

The idea of dogs learning how to wag their tails without knocking things over is hilarious, but learning not to pull on a cat's tail is odd when there's a cat in the class. Not that I'm suggesting there should be species segregation in this school, but some lessons seem like they would apply more to Otto than Cool Kitty. And while all of the other lessons are useful, when has a dog ever had to wait in line for the bathroom?

That said, I appreciate the ultimate message that Otto, despite performing excellently at school, still has more to learn. A lesson for the ages.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otto is a sweet young dog who is very excited about his first day of school! He is nervous at first because he doesn’t know anybody, but he quickly makes new friends. He learns a great deal on his first day, but he hasn’t learned everything yet! Good thing he has a whole school year ahead of him to learn more.
This is a great early reader for kids who are just starting to go to school. It is illustrated in the familiar Todd Parr fashion, which will make it a familiar transition for kids who grew up reading his picture books.

[Heather Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love all the Otto books - and anything else Todd Parr. There is enough visually to entertain all of the kids, despite the age differences. "This is not a very good school," my six year old says. "They pee on a tree and everyone can see their privates!"

"Dogs don't mind as much," I tell him...

[Amy Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4-year-old would give it all 5 stars, but he's biased when it comes to Otto books. I don't like it as much as Otto goes to bed, but any book that my kids want me to read multiple times is worth a positive review.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

two's humor? bright pictures. short text. otto experiences his first day at school.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice pictures, bright colors, not enough plot for us.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5