OTTER TALES
Rock N Rollin Readers
Our lithe mail gal dumps a hefty manila envelope on my doorstep. I take it to be another impenetrable stockholder report, but no - it's Otter Tales - a charming literary journal of Ordway students' writing from Ordway Principal, Glenn Robbins, "dedicated to the faithful volunteers who come weekly to listen to 2nd grade readers."
I wish I could do justice to Santiago Mendoza's splendid cover art up there, or the heart-warming photos of the scholars - truly, a collectors's item.
Each story is wonderfully illustrated so that the eye goes back and forth between drawing and the hypnotic text.
Let us skim and see what catches our fancy:
- "If you like art, football, and wolverines," poses Christian Van Wagner, "keep reading." How can I *not* with a killer opening like that? Wolverines? Lead on, CVW.
- Kyle Turner has "a lot of favorite things because life is great." What a great attitude.
- A brilliant page by Axel (see right) who spurned mere words in favor of an ingenious (and painstaking) collage of images to tell his story of
- His fave baseball team (Mariners, natch) that he likes watching with his dad (go-o dads)
- His dog Heidi, who's growing fast (image of speeding rabbit)
- Axel and I also share a good taste admiration of Thomas the Tank Engine which, he like me, reads with his mom.
- *Great* page, Axel!
- Emma Spickard draws "Cat Heaven", which is where Dodo is.
- "She was a super, super cat because she never bit or scratched.
- I have a sneaking suspicion that Emma's rather fond of cats, because she goes on to say that, " Cats are a STRAVAGANSTA! etc animal: They are cuddly, independent, sweet, playful, wonderful, cool, awesome, silly, funny, weird, and SUPER."
- I'll take that as a yes, as Doctor Phil says.
- Brianna H likes "horses because they're colorful, gentle, kind, protective, and they're good pets for a house." Goodness, Brianna - how big *is* your house?
- There's more: she "likes frogs because have a gooey touch, and I like how they jump out of my hands and how under their mouths, it moves."
- Brianna, honey, if you ever feel like writing a scary book à la our next Stephanie King or Deanna Koontz - kick off with the opening sentence, "Under their mouths, it moves." Your editor will need to read no further, so busy will she be signing that hefty advance check. Brrr - *great* image.
- Grayson W bids us "Welcome to the park of my imagination, where you are in a rocket car which is going as fast as 99 miles per hour." Also in a darned good story.
- Kim's "favorite food is pasta because I love its slimy feel and wet taste. I love how I can slurp it ... My home is special to me because I have privacy, respect, and a view, and you can be sick. Oh, one more thing, you can watch TV and my home is dull and it's unordinary."
- Privacy, respect and a view? Where one can be sick *and* watch TV ... *and* slurp lovely slimy wet pasta? Sounds far from dull to me.
A stunning volume and bravo everyone involved.