Otto Goes North

by Ulrika Kestere

Le lémurien Otto a fait un long voyage pour rejoindre ses amis Lisa et Nils dans le Grand Nord. C'est là qu'il veut peindre la magnifique aurore boréale. Mais, la nuit est froide et son frêle pelage ne suffit pas... Lisa et Nils vont lui fabriquer un pull très spécial. Otto a vraiment des amis formidables!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Knitting

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Ulrika is a photographer, illustrator, author and art director based in Lund, Sweden.

Her creative studies started in Lofoten, Norway, 2006. After two year with focus on photography she came back to Sweden and studied industrial design at Ingvard Kamprad Design School in Lund. After her studies she worked 3 years in advertising. Today she’s a freelancer, working on assignments within photography and illustration. She is also working part time as an Art Director at Timi of Sweden.

She has published five children’s books. Vilda grannar, Ottos ulliga tröja, Den känsliga igelkotten, Födelsedagen and Kakorna är slut! (Swedish titles). Her books have been translated to 13 languages; English, French, Italian, Russian, Danish, Latvian, Estonian, Jordanian, Romanian, Jordanian, Vietnamese, South Korean and Chinese.

Born in Latvia, the fairytales from eastern Europe often influencing her work. Ulrika loves the outdoors and the rough Scandinavian weather. The Lofoten islands will always have a special place in her heart and are the inspiration to many of her illustrations.

Reviews

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burvīgi ilustrēts stāsts par draudzību, manai gaumei gan vietām pārāk uzkrītoši pamācošs, bet nu es jau arī neesmu mērķauditorija. Jauks gabals, bet tās pašas autores “Ezītis un lielā oga” tomēr foršāks.

[Valeska · Rating 5 out of 5]

We got this book from the library and returned it a couple weeks ago. Since then, one of my daughters keeps asking, "Why did we choose this house?" We give her reasons and she doesn't seem satisfied. I then ask her what house would she like and she says, "A blueberry house with a grass roof."

[Martin Bensch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Förtäckt propaganda för stickmaffian!

[Tarsila Krüse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otto, an artistic lemur, visits his friends Nils and Lisa who live somewhere around icy mountains surrounded by the northern lights. That’s actually the purpose of his visit - to paint the northern lights - but his fur cannot withstand the cold. As Otto falls ill his friends come up with a plan to help him out. It is a very sweet story although a little awkward at times, which could make for funny takes. The writing is simple but not simplistic yet there could be fewer words for a picturebook. The mixed media artwork carries a Nordic feel and it uses a lovely mix of collage, paint and colouring pencils creating interesting textures and atmospheres. A book that showcases that things don’t have to be a competition and that when someone is special to you can go above and beyond to make them feel cared for. Recommended for ages 2-8

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lemurs, and Scandinavia, and weaving, and sweaters, and saunas, and northern lights, and painting, and friends, and a detective novel, and fika with cinnamon buns!!!!! What’s not to love?!?!?!

[Kristīne Butlere Peslaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loti jauks stāsts par to kā divi draugi trešajam draugam uzadīja džemperi.
Un man joprojām patīk U.Kesteres grāmatu ilustrācijas! :)

[Iluta Jakubovska Solovjova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otto apciemo savus draugus tālu ziemeļos - Līsu un Nilu. Viņam ir vēlme uzgleznot ziemeļblāzmu, bet ārā ir ļoti auksts, Otto kažociņš par plānu un beigās Otto saaukstējas. Kamēr Otto sildās pirtiņā, draugi domā, kā ciemiņam palīdzēt. Rodas ideja uzadīt džemperi. Džemperim vajadzīga dzija. Kā to iegūt? Tālāk soli pa solim stāsts aizved pie tā, kā rodas dzija, kas ir vērpjamais ratiņš, kā dziju krāso. Galu galā tālais dienvidu ciemiņš tiek pie silta džempera un mierīgi var uzgleznot gleznu.
Atkal grāmata, kura caur stāstu iemāca kaut ko jaunu. Varbūt pat ne tikai mazajam lasītājam, bet arī lielajam. Personīgi man bērnībā bija vērpjamais ratiņš, tāpēc tas nav sveša lieta.
Grāmatu noteikti iesaku. Jaukas ilustrācijas un labs stāsts. Pamāca bērnam, ka ir lietas, ko arī pats vari uztaisīt, uzadīt, viss nav jāmeklē tikai veikala plauktos. Lietas rodas arī citādāk.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Otto travels north to visit his two friends Lisa and Nils and paint the northern lights, no one realizes that Otto's fur is different. When he catches a cold while painting outside, Lisa and Nils use one of their books and some of their own fur to make Otto a nice warm sweater to keep him cozy in the cold weather.
I loved the mixture of my favorite things in this book! Art, books and yarn. Very interesting look into both northern culture and the way to use hobbies to help others.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd but charming story, and illustrations are delightful. A sweet friendship tale which also could be used to talk about climates--and the aurora borealis, which is rather elusive in books for children.

[Joselyn Guizar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are very simple but the illustrator really focuses on the details of each animal. I love that the moral of the story is to help your friends with their desires like Otto's friends help him stay warm so he can continue to paint even in the cold.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story of 2 animal friends who cooperate to spin yarn to knit a sweater for their visitor from a warm land. It takes place in a country where Northern Lights are prevalent and their warm loving friend doesn't have the right fur to keep warm.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otto rides his biccyle north to see the Northern Light but gets so cold he can't enjoy them. Can his new friends help him to stay warm and see the lights. Elementary and up

[Deidre · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations delighted me (obviously. Small creatures knitting and doing things like mow grass?!) and the story was cute. But my kids and I agreed the story is actually a little boring :/

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because as I thought, it had knitting as part of the story. It's a cute story although some of the dialogue is silly.

[Eloise Battey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of friendship and care. Lovely colourful illustrations and a nice way to introduce knitting and textiles to children.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story tells process of fiber dyeing and knitting.

[Littlegrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting story and very cute illustation.Very page makes me laugh. I love it even as an adult.

[Rebecca Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really lengthy, a little too random for my liking.

[Ketija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu burvīgi!

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully illustrated story of Otto and his bicycle powered journey notherward.

[Agnese Zariņa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ļoti skaistas ilustrācijas.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Wanda ❣️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute and sweet.

[Gunilla]

Lemuren Otto fryser och får en stickad tröja som present av vännerna Lisa och Nils. Fin bok om vänskap och en modern Pelles nya kläder.

[Madara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ļoti forša bet maz ko lasīt bet ļoti laba