you oughta meet Ottoline

I finally read through Chris Riddell’s Ottoline series, four deliciously-illustrated tales plum full of panache!

Such a treat awaits you and your sturdy new readers if you’ve not yet made Ottoline’s acquaintance!

Just look at the covers. Flamboyant colors. Stylish design. Tempting as can be. I cannot wait to crack one open and see what’s inside, can you?!

And what you’ll discover is that the insides are equally as brilliant as the cases.  First up is the joyful abundance of Riddell’s elegant and irresistible line drawings. Even the most reluctant of readers will simply not be able to help themselves.  Captivated at first glance. Cha!

Then tuck into the blithely-quirky characters, engaging plots, and sunny good humor. Ottoline Brown is as independent as Pippi Longstocking, coolheaded as Moominmama, and warmhearted as Christopher Robin, while her dear friend Mr. Munroe, a small and hairy person who comes from a bog in Norway, is loyalty personified.

The two of them, along with Ottoline’s extensive private staff, traipse into four peppery, little off-beat adventures.

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat…
HarperCollins, 2007

…in which we meet Ottoline and Mr. Munroe for the first time and foil a dastardly plot cooked up by the Yellow Cat and his feathery accomplice!

Ottoline at Sea…
HarperCollins, 2010

…in which Mr. Munroe heads off to the Far North on his own, Ottoline employs all manner of conveyances in her pursuit of her dear friend, and both of them encounter quite a rumple of trolls!  Plus, you get to use the handy, enclosed bog glasses to help you see some curious images hidden in the illustrations.

Ottoline Goes to School…
HarperCollins, 2008

…in which Ottoline and Mr. Munroe wind up at The Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted with their new friends Cecily and Mumbles.

While Ottoline endeavors to discover what her different gift might be, the school is beset by strange occurrences — noises in the night, and bizarre goings-on! Could it truly be the ghostly Horse of the Hammersteins?! Ottoline and Mr. Munroe cook up a clever plan to solve the mystery and shine some love into Cecily’s life.

Ottoline and the Purple Fox…
HarperCollins, 2016

…in which Ottoline and Mr. Munroe plan an extravagant dinner party for gallons of friends, including the Purple Fox and the Crimson Vixen.

Head out on a nighttime safari, meet a wild menagerie of new friends, prep some cool party invitations (there’s even one for you tucked in the back of the book!) and join our two stars in a dash of sweet matchmaking!

Read these aloud to listeners ages 5 and up. Hand them to new-but-sturdy readers — there’s no babying anybody in the vocabulary department here. Or tempt an older, reluctant reader with a volume that’s nicely hefty yet thrifty on word count. Brilliant fun!