On a perfectly perfect summer day, best friends Otis and Rae decide to go camping—for the first time ever! Otis is content to set up his tent right away and spend the night eating PB&B (peanut butter and banana) sandwiches. But Rae wants to tell stories, scary stories, stories about GRUMBLING SPLUNKS! No need for Otis to worry. There’s no such thing as a grumbling splunk! Is there?
Espinosa, Laura and Leo Otis and Rae and the Grumbling Splunk. PICTURE BOOK, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Two friends go on a camping adventure, encounter a fearsome creature, solve the problem of finding their way back to camp, and make a new friend using the PB&B (banana) sandwich.
The book shows many characteristics of manga - text/picture panels, work bubbles, flat-color illustrations, and cartoon-like characters and plot. The story is appropriate for sharing with young children one-on-one or in a small group.
Otis wants to eat PB&B and his pal Rae wants to tell stories – scary stories of the Grumbling Splunk!!! That’s ok, right? There really isn’t such a things as a Grumbling Splunk out there in the woods, or is there?!?! With bright, cheerful illustrations reminiscent of Japanese cartoons (which considering they have a Saturday morning cartoon called Sushi Pack, it’s not really surprising), Laura and Leo Espinosa bring the comic book style to the young. It is definitely a fun read, with a story that children can relate to and will make adults giggle and grin.
While out on an overnight camping, Otis and Rae stumble across the Grumbling Splunk monster. Accidents happens and first-aid is administered, fears are subsided, and the Grumbling Splunk monster helps Otis and Rea find their way back to their campsite.
Otis and Rae head out camping. All Otis wants to do is eat his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but Rae fills his head with all sorts of scary stories, especially the one about the Grumbling Splunk. They head to bed, but Otis can't sleep as he worries and frets about whether the Splunk is real or not. When the crickets suddenly stop chirping, Otis faces his fear head on.
The illustrations here are charming and modern, evoking a manga and anime spirit similar to Totoro. The friendship between the two characters rings true right down to their very dissimilar personalities. The book is fast-paced, interesting and often surprising. One of the joys is that you are never quite sure what to expect next.
A great rollicking fun read for children, this book is appropriate for ages 4-6.
Otis wants to eat PB&B and his pal Rae wants to tell stories – scary stories of the Grumbling Splunk!!! That’s ok, right? There really isn’t such a things as a Grumbling Splunk out there in the woods, or is there?!?! With bright, cheerful illustrations reminiscent of Japanese cartoons (which considering they have a Saturday morning cartoon called Sushi Pack, it’s not really surprising), Laura and Leo Espinosa bring the comic book style to the young. It is definitely a fun read, with a story that children can relate to and will make adults giggle and grin.
Otis and Rae are going camping for the first time, and they have different ideas of how to have a good time. Rae wants to explore and look for creatures like the Grumbling Splunk. Or, at the very least, she'd like to tell spooky stories. Otis would rather pitch the tent early and get a restful night's sleep. Are the stories of the Grumbling Splunk really true? This pair is going to find out! Cute, cartoon-style illustrations and fun dialogue give this read extra kid appeal. My 3-year-old wanted to read it again, and again, and again...
What the heck is a Splunk? And a grumbling one at that? Find out with Otis and Rae as they go camping in this comic like picture book titled (what else) Otis and Rae and the Grumbling Splunk by Laura and Leo Espinosa. Told with brightly colored comic bubbles, comic timing, and comic frames and vignettes. A fun picture book for kindergartners and young grade schoolers, and not even that hard for parents to read at bedtime!
I took this camping a few years back on a camping trip w/ good friends who had younger children. I thought a couple of books about camping might help ease any unease for them. I was worried a little about this one at first, because it could be a little scary for a younger, sensitive soul. Well, it was a fave and one of my best little buddies kept asking me to read it! Hopefully the storytime kids will like it as much!
Two friends (Otis and Rae) go out camping. Rae is always up for adventure while Otis tends to be a bit more cautious. Rae tells the tale of a Grumbling Splunk and wishes she could find one. During the night, when Otis can't sleep and is searching for a flashlight he comes across the very creature Rae was talking about. In the morning they both set off to find it - much to Otis' chagrin. In the end, it's not as fearsome as believed, just hungry.
At first glance, I kind of dismissed this book—but after reading it out loud to the girls we all decided it was a great library find. The colors are fresh and original, and the graphic novel-esque thing I tend to avoid was actually very well done and still good for reading aloud. And the story itself was a funny one, too : )
The colorful illustrations remind me of a comic book, but it held the little person's attention enough that she wanted to read it twice today, and she keeps asking about "Otis and Rae." Two thumbs up! :)
like a Saturday morning cartoon for two year olds. kids with peanut allergies (like my nephews) may not enjoy it though, since Peanut Butter sandwiches are a motivating factor in the plot.