Review: Otto Goes North

Otto Goes North is a comforting tale about Otto, an adventurous lemur, who has cycled for a very long time to visit his friends, Lisa (a lynx) and Nils (a little bear), who live in a blueberry-blue house with a grass roof, far up in the north.

The three friends are thrilled to see each other. Otto cannot wait to share stories with his friends and to paint the Northern Lights as a memento to hang on his walls back in the south.  However, Otto does not realise how freezing it is in the north.

The friends discover that, even though they all have fur, Otto's fur is meant for warmer weather, and Otto becomes sick. His friends are worried. They take him into the sauna, and bring warm blueberry soup. Then, Lisa and Nils use their intiative, empathy and creativity to find a way to help Otto stay warm.

They create yarn, in a clever and surprising way, colouring it with vegetables. Then, they learn how to knit and soon make a perfect gift for Otto.

Swedish author/illustrator, Ulrika Kestere, (text translated by Julia Marshall) has created a heartwarming story of three compassionate friends, each with their own unique characteristics, who value each other's journeys and differences. The illustrations have clear and simple lines and bold colours, yet convey the warmth of friendship, contrasting the day-to-day lives of the characters against the majestic backdrop of the northern sky.

Title: Otto Goes North
Author/Illustrator: Ulrika Kestere (Translated by Julia Marshall)
Publisher: Gecko Press, $16.99
Publication Date: 1 August 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781776572427
For ages: 5 - 8
Type: Picture Book




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