School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Otter, the always exuberant, occasionally exasperating, but definitely lovable character who was first introduced in Garton's I Am Otter (HarperCollins, 2014) is back. A trip to the museum has turned the spirited creature on to the wonder of space travel, and when she gets home, she decides to plan a journey to obtain a moon rock of her own. Otter delegates jobs to her stuffed toys (constant companion Teddy becomes a fellow astronaut, while Giraffe is tasked with Mission Control), builds a space suit out of a cardboard box, and blasts off using a playground slide. Though the digitally created, cartoonlike illustrations depict laugh-out-loud situations (the hapless Teddy enduring a cycle through the dryer as part of his antigravity training), they're also warm, gently portraying the expressive young animal through ups and downs. Her observations are endearingly naive, and there's often a delightfully childlike contrast between what she imagines and what's actually occurring, such as her belief that the inanimate Teddy has ideas and opinions of his own (for instance, an image of the slumped-over bear is paired with text that reads, "Teddy took his space suit off. He didn't seem to be taking space travel seriously."). Kids will enjoy Otter's riotous antics, while adults may sympathize with her put-upon guardian, Otter Keeper, who returns at the end of the day from work to discover the mischief wrought by a well-intentioned ward who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. VERDICT Another "Aw"-inspiring adventure with Otter.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
After visiting a museum's space exhibit, the animal star of I Am Otter hatches a plan to get a moon rock. Otter references "launch," "lift-off," and a "moon landing"; meanwhile, the cleanly detailed illustrations show her travels to be quite earthly (her "moon rock" is from a garden). This jovial, imagination-plugging story shows off Otter's just-a-bit-too-cute childlike narration. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Having previously opened a toast restaurant (I Am Otter, 2014), an otter ups the ante and shoots for the moon.When Otter Keeper takes Otter and Teddy to a museum, they see moon rocks, NASA models, simulated spaceship controls, and a video about the moon. At the gift shop, Otter is "forced to make some very difficult decisions." She gets a new toy spaceship but not a moon rock, so the next day, when Otter Keeper goes to work, Otter hatches a plan: "Teddy and I [will] get our moon rock from the same place the museum did: the MOON!" As she builds space suits (using glue, boxes, galoshes, and a scuba mask) and puts Teddy through rigorous "antigravity training" in the dryer, Otter's hilarious narration never acknowledges that this isn't a real tripnor that Teddy and the other participants are stuffed animals. Otter herself is a delightful amalgam of pet (staying home alone when Otter Keeper, an adult human, goes to work) and child (drinking from a juice box and riding in a car seat). From "mishun control" to launch and liftoff, Garton's bright, shiny digital illustrations are full of sparkle and humor. Even a sudden progression from spot illustrations to a full double-page spread is funny. Lively, giggle-producing proof that imaginative play is just as good as getting to the moon. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
