  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/01/2013 Otto the elephant and Crackers the parrot continue their search (begun in Big City Otto, 2011) for their friend Georgie, a chimpanzee who was kidnapped by the Man with the Wooden Nose. When they discover that Georgie might be in the Punkratz and Pinky Circus, they hitch a train ride from Louisiana to southern Georgia. As they investigate, they learn that the circus is a front for smuggling animals to a wealthy hunter. Slavin slips in a lot of humorous asides to entertain grown-ups while providing a comical adventure with just the right amount of danger for younger readers. His colorful art hearkens back to classic comics, and he has created a world where humans and animals can talk freely with one another. Otto isn’t very bright, but he is loyal to his friends, while Crackers has a more cynical worldview. Whether they are misadventuring through a disastrous parade and football game or helping an Underground Railroad–style operation to rescue mistreated animals, the two friends will be cheered on by young readers. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2013 Gr 3–6—Otto is traveling the American countryside, along with his friend Crackers the parrot, in search of his chimp friend, Georgie, who has been kidnapped. Falling into one humorous situation after another, the elephant finds himself accidentally impersonating a sports team mascot, in jail, and, ultimately, at the Punkratz and Pinky Traveling Circus. In his pursuit of Georgie and the kidnapper, he discovers a dark side to the circus when he finds himself in a room surrounded by taxidermied animals. As it turns out, animals are being sold from the zoo and hunted. Using his peanut allergy for comic relief (apparently, it's not dangerous for elephants to be allergic to peanuts–it only makes them sneeze explosively), Otto unwittingly saves the day. Following leads and hunches brings Otto and Crackers close to finding Georgie, but the book ends on a cliff-hanger, which will leave young readers eager for the next book. Slavin is a skilled illustrator and storyteller, and he brings these talents to this graphic-novel series. The full-color art is traditional in style, and the illustrations, particularly of Otto, add humor to an already funny story.—Liz Zylstra, County of Prince Edward Public Library, Picton, Ontario - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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