Little Joe Otter

Smiling Pool

by Thornton W. Burgess

"Little Joe Otter" by Thornton Waldo Burgess. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Classics, Middle Grade

Paperback

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

Thornton W. (Waldo) Burgess (1874-1965), American author, naturalist and conservationist, wrote popular children's stories including the Old Mother West Wind (1910) series. He would go on to write more than 100 books and thousands of short-stories during his lifetime.

Thornton Burgess loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years in books and his newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories". He was sometimes known as the Bedtime Story-Man. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for the daily newspaper column.

Born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Burgess was the son of Caroline F. Haywood and Thornton W. Burgess Sr., a direct descendant of Thomas Burgess, one of the first Sandwich settlers in 1637. Thornton W. Burgess, Sr., died the same year his son was born, and the young Thornton Burgess was brought up by his mother in Sandwich. They both lived in humble circumstances with relatives or paying rent. As a youth, he worked year round in order to earn money. Some of his jobs included tending cows, picking trailing arbutus or berries, shipping water lilies from local ponds, selling candy and trapping muskrats. William C. Chipman, one of his employers, lived on Discovery Hill Road, a wildlife habitat of woodland and wetland. This habitat became the setting of many stories in which Burgess refers to Smiling Pool and the Old Briar Patch.

Graduating from Sandwich High School in 1891, Burgess briefly attended a business college in Boston from 1892 to 1893, living in Somerville, Massachusetts, at that time. But he disliked studying business and wanted to write. He moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he took a job as an editorial assistant at the Phelps Publishing Company. His first stories were written under the pen name W. B. Thornton.

Burgess married Nina Osborne in 1905, but she died only a year later, leaving him to raise their son alone. It is said that he began writing bedtime stories to entertain his young son, Thornton III. Burgess remarried in 1911; his wife Fannie had two children by a previous marriage. The couple later bought a home in Hampden, Massachusetts, in 1925 that became Burgess' permanent residence in 1957. His second wife died in August 1950. Burgess returned frequently to Sandwich, which he always claimed as his birthplace and spiritual home.

In 1960, Burgess published his last book, "Now I Remember, Autobiography of an Amateur Naturalist," depicting memories of his early life in Sandwich, as well as his career highlights. That same year, Burgess, at the age of 86, had published his 15,000th story. He died on June 5, 1965, at the age of 91 in Hampden, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming and old-fashioned, with a simple plot and simple characters. I just love this type of children’s animal story! Adorable and sweet, with short chapters easy for young readers.

[Ken W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun animal adventure! Little Joe and Mrs. Otter taking their 2 youngsters on a trip from the Smiling Pool to the Big River. A fun series of books and very nostalgic for me! 4 stars!

[Elise Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A good little book about otters traveling through streams and snow... the brother and sister otters learn lessons about disobeying"
-A review from our six year old

[Jonathan Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Burgess Books

This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.

I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.

These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.

For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)

The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.

Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.

All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.

(Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)

[Kanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

"a beautiful character is far more to be desired than a beautiful voice or a beautiful coat."

| lipperty-lipperty-lip |

Little Joe Otter is a new resident in the Swimming Pool. He is playful, but also shy [â€Little Joe believes that a home is just for those who live there, and therefore that it is a secret which no one else should know.â€]. One day, to everyone`s surprise, Joe appears with his wife and also two young otters. This book is about Little Joe Otter, his personality and adventures, and the lessons he teaches his cubs. Little Joe Otter is also wise and very knowledgable.

"Who seeks shall learn
And knowledge earn." ~ Little Joe Otter.

"By sitting still may much be learned
And thus be useful knowledge earned. " ~ Little Joe Otter.

"Who travels much will wiser be,
Provided he has eyes to see. " ~ Little Joe Otter.

"There’s always some one setting traps
While honest folk are taking naps. " ~ Little Joe Otter.

"Youth too often scorns advice
And in the end must pay the price.†~ Little Joe Otter.

"If life and freedom be the cost,
What matter if a toe is lost? " ~ Little Joe Otter.

"Each bit of knowledge you attain
Will prove an aid to future gain." ~ Little Joe Otter.

First published in 1925, Thornton W. Burgess’ The Adventures of Little Joe Otter is a wonderful and fascinating read.

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You see, wherever there are babies there has to be a school. This is one of the laws of Old Mother Nature.

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There’s always some one setting traps While honest folk are taking naps.

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He had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Now when Little Joe has that feeling he always heeds it.

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“It is better to go without fun than to lose your life.â€

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There is nothing quite so awful as the helpless feeling that comes when one is caught in a trap.

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It is said that if you wish long enough and hard enough for a thing you may get your wish.

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[Brittany Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old books are kind of odd... despite some oddities due to its age, Holden and I still enjoyed reading about little joe and his family. This is a slow paced book with not a ton of action, so it made for great bedtime reading. I especially enjoyed the little joe "sayings" at the beginning of each chapter.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandmother used to read these books to my mom, and then I read them, too, as a kid. Now my youngest kids (ages 8 and 10) are getting the chance. They liked this one quite a bit! The stories are sweet and simple, but interesting, and they teach kids about animals and their habits. I’d recommend them for animal-loving, school-age kids.

[Dru · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great kid's book teaching good values.

[Lizze Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are just right for Caleb (5).

[Sparrow12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was young.
I read all? of Thornton Burgess' books.
I really enjoyed reading it this time.
I was amazed at the 'truths' stated in the books.
It makes me realize i don't need to read new books all the time.
I am ready to start a new novel - Love Inspired - another childhood book Pollyanna- Heidi ???

[Talea · Rating 5 out of 5]

We lost the book under a dresser for awhile so it took us a good minute to finish reading a chapter a night. The book though is great. I love all the animal books as do my children. They are great at teaching nature in ways easily understood by children.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life lessons

Life lessons taught through the eyes
and experience of the river otter, Little Joe Otter and his family. A family must read.