The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Dubuc, Marianne

Otto and Pio

72 pp. | Princeton | March, 2019 | Trade ISBN 978-1-61689-760-4 $17.95

(2) K-3 Squirrel Otto discovers a spiky ball; the small creature within declares Otto "MOMMY." "Pio" grows larger and larger (and thus more inconvenient as a roommate), but he also cooks, tidies up, and is good company. Full of funny details, the watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations move the plot along. This tender story about the value of taking care of each other also quietly considers the meanings of home and family.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019