Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners

While kids may well have encountered the Golden Rule elsewhere, this explanation and elaboration nicely unifies what might otherwise seem like a dreary list of manners.

Pair this sly, intelligent guide to etiquette with other equally unstuffy picture-book titles in the adjacent “Read-alikes: Mind Your Manners.”

Kellers ("The Scrambled States of America") latest offers lessons in the social graces, featuring Mr. Rabbit and his whiskery new neighbors, the otters. I dont know anything about "otters", the pink-eyed, pink-nosed protagonist agonizes. What if we dont get along? At this, a bookish owl pops in from the margin with an apt take on the Golden Rule: Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you. Hmmm..., muses Mr. Rabbit, How would I like otters to treat me? When he opines, Id like otters to be "polite", a gray otter in polka-dot shorts demonstrates how to say please in five languages (counting Pig Latin), then does the same for thank you and the indispensable excuse me. Later, the smiling otters co-"otter"-ate and help friends move a heavy log. Even disagreements can be managed. Keller loads her acrylic-on-paper images with comical asides and tangential conversations, and goggle eyes, rubbery smiles and rounded teeth suggest her casts goofball personalities; no mistaking them for Little Lord Fauntleroys. Without prescribing perfect etiquette, Keller serves up sound, friendly advice for maintaining a peaceable kingdom. Ages 5-8 (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission

Mr. Rabbit is worried that he might not get along with his new neighbors. A wise owl gives him the advice, "Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you" and proceeds to explain what this means. Thus follows a listing of traits and qualities such as friendliness, politeness, honesty, consideration, cooperation, and sharing. Each one contains humorous examples of Mr. Rabbit and the Otters following those rules. Also included are samples of how to say certain phrases such as "Excuse me" and "Please" in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Pig Latin. Each page bursts with colorful illustrations and is scattered with words of different sizes and fonts. This simple story is certain to appeal to children. - Donna Atmur, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.