Otter: What Pet Is Best?

by Sam Garton

On her next adventure, Otter—the irrepressible character sure to be adored by fans of Llama Llama—tries to choose the perfect pet for her and Teddy. What Pet Is Best? is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child. Read about more of Otter’s adventures in I Am Otter, Otter in Space, Otter Goes to School, Otter Loves Halloween!, Otter Loves Easter!, Oh No, Bath Time!, The Best Job Ever!, Hello, Sea Friends!; Let’s Go Swimming! ; and I Love Books.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2019

About the author

I’m Sam, I’m 33 and I live in Wokingham! I have a degree in illustration and I spend most of my time drawing Otters whilst generally making a mess and thinking about why I still haven’t bought a kitten. I like putting inappropriate sweets in the freezer (Jelly tots) and my favourite film is Homeward bound. I wish I looked cool wearing headbands but I don’t. Oh and I’m rubbish at looking after house plants.

Reviews

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Otter: What Pet Is Best?' by Sam Garton introduces Otter to a variety of pets that he might want, but the trouble is that he can't decide which pet is best for him. From a lion that's too scary to a skunk that he fears will be too smelly, he goes through a list of animals that all have various issues with them, running the gamut of choices before settling on a fish. Otter's drawings of each respective animal, and his facial expressions as he realizes that most of them will not do as pets, the book is a sweet portrayal of how kids need to learn about their interests before settling on what works best.

A cute story with a healthy dose of word repetition, fun illustrations, and plenty of sight words written in simple sentences, 'Otter: What Pet Is Best?' is a great read for new and developing readers.

Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Welcome to Chanu-Con!,' a Children's Picture Book, and Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otter and his teddy are excited to get their first pet, but many of
their choices are declined by the otter keeper. Following estab-
lished new reader conventions, Otter offers controlled vocabu-
lary, repetition, and abundant white space, as well as a predict-
able conclusion. However, this is a genre where imagination
isn’t necessarily required. Garton’s pencil illustrations have a
dated feel, but Otter’s expressive face offers some redemption.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A five-star reader is exceedingly hard to come by, but I trust the Otter series by Sam Garton to deliver consistently! This book is an enjoyable read, with a simple and rhythmic plot that beginning readers can follow. It also employs some great phonics that kids will recall from classroom settings, except this book is way more fun!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otter has plenty of friends and toys, but he doesn’t have a pet. So that is what he wants. The trouble is he can’t decide what kind of pet he should get. A lion might eat Teddy, an elephant might squash Teddy and a monkey might get Teddy into trouble. Fortunately, Otter Keeper has an idea that Otter can get behind.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable otter wants a pet, but each idea he presents to Otter Keeper is rejected on the grounds that it might be to dangerous for Otter's teddy bear. Finally, Otter Keeper suggests just the right pet. Simple language and large print make this an ideal book for very early readers.

[Ana Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable! I love Otter Keeper's logic when explaining why Otter could not have each of the pets he'd requested.

[Kit Feral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read a new Otter book with my kids one of us kinda sighs and says, "I love Otter." This time it was me.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid cuteness!

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for an emerging reader.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-year-old read most of this book on his own and enjoyed it. He was surprised in the end when the otter got a pet fish because otters EAT fish. 🙊

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early reader. Otter wants to get a pet, but what pet is best? He thinks of a few different options but there is something wrong with each. Luckily his Otter Keeper has a good idea.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

What pet IS the best for an otter? The age old question!

Son had a lot of fun with this.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a major otter fan, and since author Sam Garton has managed to create illustrations of otters that are not only endearing but close to authentic (surprisingly rare), I pick up all his stories. But he doesn't just illustrate otters well; he does a superb job of creating a child-like otter environment, along with a great tale for children to read along.

In "What Pet Is Best?," Otter tries to choose amongst the animals from her "Animals of the World" book for her first pet. As you might expect, there are lots of exciting animals that a youngster might choose - elephant, lion (I had a stuffed one myself that I was quite fond of), monkey, even skunk. None of these are approved by Otter Keeper, who comes up with highly child-appropriate reasons why they just aren't suitable.

But Otter Keeper comes up with the perfect first pet: a fish. Since I remembered that Otter eats Otter Chow, I'm not too worried about the fate of the fish - and both the fish and Otter look very happy at the end of the story. As am I. With single sentences on each one of the 27 pages, and large colorful illustrations, the book is delightful for children of all ages.

[Zaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otter wants a pet and while he has some wonderful ideas. The types of pets he is interested in getting are not really a perfect fit for an otter and his teddy.

[Overdrive]

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankfully Kait wasn’t in the room when Maddie read this, because she has a sad track record with pet fish.