Ottoline and the Purple Fox

Ottoline #4

by Chris Riddell

Ottoline is back in a brand new adventure! Ottoline and Mr. Munroe love puzzles, clues, and mysteries. One day, they meet an enigmatic purple fox, who offers to take them on a night-time urban safari. The fox shows them all the hidden animals of the city and Ottoline makes notes on them in her field notebook. Mr. Munroe is making notes, too—on the anonymous poems he finds stuck to lamp posts on their journey. Who is the secretive poet, and how can he and Ottoline help them mend their broken heart? Includes a fold-up-and-keep fortune teller!

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Animals, Mystery

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2016

About the author

Chris Riddell was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where his father was an Anglican priest and a member of the ANC. The family moved to England in 1963, when Riddell was one year old, and he spent his childhood in a number of different locations, as his father moved between parishes. Both of Riddell's parents continued to be active in the anti-apartheid movement.

Chris Riddell is an internationally acclaimed writer and illustrator whose many awards include the Nestlé Gold Award and two Kate Greenaway Medals—the most prestigious prize for illustration in the UK. He is the creator of more than one hundred books for all ages, including the immensely popular series the Edge Chronicles and his latest chapter book series, starring the irrepressible Ottoline Brown, which School Library Journal called "exceptional." Chris lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and three children where he invents his amazing characters in a very tidy shed in his yard.

Reviews

[Maddie]

Beyond adorable to see some characters from the previous books! And the cameo from Ada Goth was everything I didn't know I needed.

[Kristina]

Chris Riddell is by far my favourite artist and cartoonist. His drawings and sketches are so unique and bizarre but downright gorgeous <3

I've read all of Ottline's adventures and I can honestly say I love that little girl and her pet thing :D This time they play a little bit of match making between two foxes :)

It was super cute and I can't wait for more books!

[Victoria]

Wonderful illustrations

[Mehsi]

Ottoline is back again! With new adventures, new friends!

I have been looking forward to a new Ottoline book for some time, so imagine my delight when my wish came true! 6 years after the last one a new book has arrived. This time it is all about Ottoline's party, and the new friends she makes while planning for it.

We meet 2 Foxes, a girl who looks like Ottoline (and even has a hairy friend just like Ottoline has), it was just a delight. I was a bit looking forward to some sort of twist though as to why the girl was so similar to Ottoline. But nothing really happens with it, the only thing that happens is that they are both amazed, and keep saying the same sentence.

The foxes, well I mostly liked the girl one. The boy one was just enormously cocky and I didn't particularly like him. He was just so into the touring thing, that he didn't even notice anything around him.
I did like the fact that the foxes could live in such a small and tiny space. It was great fun to see how they decorated, how the inside looked. Like a miniature house.

I loved the tour part as it showed a new side to the city/town and also the various creatures that apparently lived there and you totally didn't expect.

The party was also great fun, good job Ottoline, that was really sweet of you and you friends to do. Hopefully those two will be very happy.

I loved how Goth Girl made a cameo in this one, and I loved how Ottoline dreamt of Goth Girl. I wouldn't mind having a book with both characters in it. :)

The art was again a delight.

There is just one thing that I am still hoping for. That we will meet Ottoline's parents once. Even if it is a flash-visit, I would still love to see them come home.

All in all though I loved this book a whole lot, and I hope that Chris Riddell will make many more. I would highly recommend this one.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Bill]

Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell is the 4th and final book in his entertaining YA series featuring Ottoline. In this final story, Ottoline and her friend Mr. Munroe, a troll from Norway, plan a party for their friends. As well, they meet a girl and her friend, who oddly look amazingly similar to Ottoline and Mr. Munroe. Of course, they also meet the titled Purple Fox who takes them on an adventure.

As always, the story is fun, the characters interesting and the drawings excellent. I won't get into the plot anymore but I did like how you could jump around each time the Purple Fox told them a new story on his tour of the city. As well, the poems by the mystery poet are all excellent. And the Fancy Dress Fortune Teller will bring back memories to many people. In the hard cover version, at least, in a slot in the back is the described Fortune Teller. Neat.

All in all, it was a fun way to end the series. Somewhat sad to see it ended. I'll have to finish the Goth Girl books next. (4.0 stars)

[Juwita]

Yet another delightful story of Ottoline! This time, Ottoline and Mr Munroe make some new friends, hold an excellent dinner party, and help a friend discover love.

Riddell’s illustrations bring the magical story to life. There’s just so much to notice and discover in the drawings. Love love them!

[Maja]

3.5 stars

[Lin Let]

A NEW OTTOLINE BOOK?! Yes!!!

[Sanja_Sanjalica]

It was a cute story, a little bit more random than the other ones, but contained some mystery for other sequels to reveal, I would assume. Of course,the illustrations were superb. And Goth Girl crossover? Yeeees! I miss Ada so much, I'm still not over the fact that series is over. Hope to see her more, at least in Ottoline series. Also, I really hope we get to see Ottoline's parents sometime.

[Franko]

Chris Riddell and his Ottoline never disappoint. Even though this one differs from other Ottoline books because its plot is not necessarily centered around Ottoline's big adventure, it's still very adorkable. I also loved the interactive parts where the reader must flip through different pages to read poems and signs.

[Tamara]

Chris Riddell will never disappoint. His drawings will always be beautiful and his stories will always be sweet. A very fun read.

[Helena]

Much love for this book. My sister loves it and i need to get her a wee purple hat and theyll be literally indistinguishable.

[Sarah-Jane Moore]

Chris Riddell’s unique illustrations and sketches are what make this the best book ever published. The style of drawing fits in with the story which is nothing like anything you’ve ever ready before. I would 100% recommend this book to young readers and I can assure you that there is not a better book out there. My all time favourite read, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the collection. This book certainly does not disappoint. In fact, I must leave, becuase now I have convinced myself to read it again.

[Camilla Chester]

I keep changing my mind between 3 and 4 stars on this. To be fair, I've not read the others in the series and this is the first Ottoline book I have come across.
It was a fun story and I did enjoy it. Perhaps I would've liked it more if I had the book rather than the audio, that way I could've enjoyed Chris's amazing illustrations which I am positive add so much to the text.
It felt a little forced if I'm honest and very familiar. Quirky for quirky sake rather than because it adds to the characters or the story. I think this is why I'm sticking to 3 stars. He sells by the bucket load I'm sure so my slightly flat review will make zero difference I'm sure.
Sweet story and characters I'm sure everyone else adores it!

[Niki (nikilovestoread)]

Ottoline and the Purple Fox is the fourth book in the Ottoline series. I've been reading the series aloud to my kids. While we did enjoy this one, especially the beautiful, detailed illustrations, we missed the mysteries from the previous books. It was a cute story, just no mystery like we've come to expect from reading the previous books.

[Tim Robinson]

Too many characters and not enough plot. With so little at stake, it can hardly be called an adventure. Not really a mystery, either.

[Kathryn Mcilwraith]

If your toddler enjoyed reading the Eloise series by Kay Thompson, then the Ottoline series by Chris Riddell may be a great next step.

Like Eloise, Ottoline lives (mostly) alone in a large, luxurious building. Ottoline's parents are traveling the globe, so she and her hairy friend, Mr. Munroe (is he related to Cousin It?) largely take care of themselves.

I tend to think that Eloise is a bit of a brat, but Ottoline is a thoughtful and caring child. In my opinion, she is a much better role model than Eloise.

The Ottoline books are also different from Eloise in that they feature talking animals and unique hairy creatures.

Although the Ottoline books are chapter books, the pages are filled with illustrations, making them a good bridge between picture books and middle grade books. In fact, I would argue that the illustrations are necessary to the story. I listened to this audiobook twice, and I struggled to understand the charm of the story both times. But as soon as I started reading a print copy, I didn't want to put it down!

I received a copy of Ottoline and the Purple Fox from @readdiscovergrow , and I have not read the other books in the series. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: Ottoline and the Purple Fox
Author and Illustrator: Chris Riddell

[Raven]

Well, this was cute, but I hope it's not the end.

I wish we had explored the little girl who looked exactly like Ottoline and liked almost all the same things, and had her own little bog person but like... selkie instead. Like, that would have been much more interesting then the fox who couldn't tell his assistant loved him. Honestly was kinda hoping they wouldn't get together at all, he didn't deserve her.

Other then that this was a cute little story. A little odd he had her interacting with a character from a different series he's writing, but cute nonetheless. Here's hoping he does more.

[Izzati]

Another adorable book by Chris Riddell. In this one, Ottoline met the Purple Fox aka Peregrine and the Crimson Vixen aka Magenta. She also met another girl, Myrrh who's just like her.

I especially liked that Ottoline wishes she could meet Ada Goth, the character from Riddell's other series. Didn't think I would see both of them together. I also appreciate the beautiful paper fortune teller attached with the book. It's a cute touch.

[Lucy Jane]

Unlike the previous book I really enjoyed the plot of this one. It was such a cosy read and I loved the links to previous books (and the Goth Girl series) that were scattered throughout. It was a wholesome tale accompanied by the beauty that is Chris Riddell’s illustration. I would recommend this to some of the children in my class who are branching out to longer books but still need illustrations to capture their interest.

[Tiila]

Tätä kirjaa olen metsästänyt pitkään suomeksi ja hämmästynyt, kun sitä ei edeltäjiensä lailla ole ilmestynyt käännöksenä. Päätinpä sitten lukea teoksen alkuperäiskielellä, kun se kirjastosta löytyi. Kyllä kannatti! Kirjan huumori ja veikeä kuvitus miellyttivät jälleen. Tarinan keskiössä on kaunis tarina nähdyksi tulemisesta ja ystävän auttamisesta, jännittäviä seikkailuja unohtamatta. Delightful story! Ehkäpä luen aiemmatkin sarjan kirjat myös alkuperäiskielellä vielä joskus.

[Caroline]

The only book in the series that doesn't have a Norwegian translation, so I got it in English. It came with a fortune teller that matches the one in the story, omg! As always I love the detailed illustrations, this has purple details of course. Also super cool to see the Goth Girl cameo. The plot is simple but cute. Not much text and big letters, making this perfect for early middle grade readers to read on their own.

[Neville Ridley-smith]

This one seemed a bit simpler than the others. Lots of full page pictures with few or no words.

The story idea is certainly different, which is nice that it's not just repeating previous outings.

The art, as always, is fantastic. And there are a few little new things like "Go to page x to read more about this thing".

Still 4 star worthy.

[Charlotte]

The first chapter/longer length book I read to my eldest. We love Chris Riddell's picture books and so enjoyed the illustrations in this as well. We also discovered Pillow Island Hopping which is a new favourite game and she was tickled by the flamingoes being blue. We will definitely be reading the others as well as the Goth Girl series.

[Tia Garrigues]

While I adored the Goth Girl series, I found this book boring. References to one of the Goth Girl books made it feel like the author was trying to sell more books. The characters were interesting and the art was wonderful (as always) but I put the book down without finishing as I just found I wasn't invested in the story.

[Maarit]

Tarinana ehkä vähän tylsä verrattuna aikaisempiin Ottilioihin, mutta ihan kiva luettava kuitenkin. Kuvitus on edelleen loistavan yksityiskohtaista, teemavärinä tällä kertaa purppura/violetti. En tosin oikein välittänyt Ada Gootti -kirjan tuomisesta mukaan tähän tarinaan, se tuntui jotenkin häiritsevän mainosmaiselta vedolta. 3 tähteä, jospa tämäkin suomennettaisiin joskus.

[Becky H.]

Another Ottoline book that I read with my daughter. She enjoyed it, but I did not find it as great as the other Ottoline books because it did not really have much of a mystery to it. This is book #4 in the series and the last one so far. In this little mystery we finally find out who the lamppost poet is and Ottoline puts together a fun party with all of her friends from other books.

[Lucy Rose]

I never got round to ready the final Ottoline book since it was released in 2016 and it had been a few years. I’m glad I finally got to read it though! I loved the new characters and the old ones! The illustrations were beautiful and I love the poetry that was subtly placed into the story! I can’t fault the Ottoline books, they’re fantastic :)

[Lyall]

Foxes, friendship, adventure, beautiful illustrations. Loads of critters. So silly and lovely, I think I smiled the entire time reading this.

This magical mystery book will definitely be on my future child’s bookshelf, along with possibly all of Chris Riddell's books. Until then, I’ll be the one enjoying them!

[Brie]

The last instalment in this adorable but quirky series. Again, read it out loud to my 7 year old and I can't wait to start the whole series over again with my daughter when she's a bit older. I still can't get over the time that must have gone into each book's illustrations. They are all pieces of art and probably my favourite part of them.