Otto's Backwards Day
(Toon Books Level 3)

Five years after Otto's Orange Day, Cammuso and Lynch return with Otto the cat's second adventure. Luckily for Otto, his birthday is tomorrow; unluckily, someone has stolen his gifts. Catching a glimpse of the thief, Otto follows the perpetrator into Professor Barkwords's doghouse laboratory. Readers get a crash course in palindromes (and what's really important where birthdays are concerned) as Otto travels through the professor's gateway to "the backwards world... a world very much like our own, except that everything is backwards, topsy-turvy," Barkwords explains. Otto will be fine there, since his name is a palindrome, and so will his companion, a robot named Toot who can transform into a race car and kayak (palindromes, as well). The oddities of the backwards world provide fast-paced thrills as Otto and Toot are pursued by the "star rats" police force ("Rats chasing a cat! That is backwards!" quips Otto) and find out who stole Otto's birthday loot. There's a message about the importance of friends and family underlying the story, but Cammuso's action-packed cartooning keeps the emphasis on fun. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)

Gr 1-4--Otto is in for another crazy adventure when he stumbles upon preparations for his own surprise birthday party. Greed takes over, and he wants his party right then and there. His mother reminds him that all of his friends are coming the next day, his real birthday, but he doesn't care. He thinks cake, ice cream, balloons, and gifts are the most important parts of a celebration and not his family and friends. "I think you've got things backwards," says his father, and the young cat learns that there is more to a birthday than sweets and treats. Cammuso and Lynch are masterful at creating a comic that will appeal to children while at the same time imparting a simple lesson. The illustrations are colorful and attractive. The story is laid out in easy-to-follow panels that will allow even beginning readers to follow it. Otto will find an audience among fans of Ashley Spires's Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can, 2009) and Nadja Spiegelman's "Zig and Wikki" books (Toon).--Carol Hirsche, Provo City Library, UT