Review by Booklist Review
Mildenberger introduces readers to a curmudgeonly, stork-like bird with a bright future ahead. Otto lives alone and doesn't bother with niceties such as showering or cleaning his home and keeps his windows shut up tight. Whenever he considers changing his ways, he says to himself, "Ack! What's the point?!" Then, one evening, a small seed falls from his dinner onto the floor. Since he can't be bothered to pick it up, he leaves it where it falls and goes on to tell it adventures he has had during his long life. The seed soon sprouts, and Otto continues with his tales night after night until the plant grows so tall that it bursts through his roof. The literal breakthrough brings Otto fresh air, sunshine, and friends in the tree branches who are excited to hear his stories. The touching tale, illustrated by the author, offers intriguing mixed-media images--mainly in blues, browns, and grays--that readers will want to study. A gentle story about surprising new friendships.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Moody, loosely stroked multimedia spreads by Mildenberger (Comet Chaser), making a solo debut, show "cranky old bird" Otto with the long beak and white feathers stalking city streets in a black coat. He doesn't bathe ("Ack! What's the point?!"), won't open windows ("Ack! What's the point?!"), and fails to pick up a seed when it falls from his dinner bowl one evening. Instead, Otto speaks to it: "Oh, little seed.... I've seen some marvelous things in my day. I once found myself caught in a fierce storm during a hot-air balloon ride." Objects from Otto's stories lie scattered about, including the shoe-shaped basket that carried Otto beneath the hot-air balloon. Slowly, as Otto continues to spin stories of derring-do, the seed sprouts, becomes a sapling, and bursts through the roof, drawing creatures to its branches and to Otto's tales. At last, in this offbeat fable, Otto finds himself surrounded by new, green life and camaraderie, all summoned through the power of storytelling. Ages 4--8. Agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Agency. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--6--"Otto was a cranky old bird." Coupled with Mildenberger's dreamy, pastel-smudged art, this perfect sentence sets the tone for a whimsical tale of changing one's heart. It's a bleak beginning for the story, which follows curmudgeonly Otto through his day. Otto's cantankerous attitude keeps him from caring enough to clean the griminess around his home, his feathers, his windows. That all changes when a seed falls, and Otto can't possibly be bothered to pick it up. Soon, a beam of light on the seed starts brightening the entire scene. Things start to get more crisp and colorful. Grumbling to the seed, Otto reminisces about past adventures that wordlessly fill awe-inspiring spreads. Are these visions mere dreams or amazing realities? Does it matter? Either way, they nourish the seed, setting the scene for a heartwarming parable about how sharing with others makes life a bit brighter. Through the seed and his stories, Otto builds a community. His personality doesn't really change. He's still a bit prickly. This story includes some higher concept ideas, but it's a sweet tale with actively engrossing illustrations. VERDICT A good read-aloud for elementary children, this tale covers how life can become a bit more hopeful with a little help from one's friends.--Cat McCarrey
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A misanthropic bird finds a way to build community. Curmudgeonly Otto goes about his day with a constant refrain of "Ack! What's the point?" The storklike bird can't be bothered to bathe, tidy his house, or even turn on a light. One day, a seed slips out of his hastily prepared dinner and settles on the floor. Instead of cleaning it up, he tells it a story about his life. The next morning, Otto discovers that the seed has become a sprout. Pulling it out of the ground feels like too much work, so he leaves it there. Every night, he gets into the habit of relating wild stories that he claims to have experienced firsthand: a hot air balloon ride through a terrifying storm, a battle with an evil queen. Before long, the tiny seed grows into a tree, which becomes home to a variety of animals all eager to listen to Otto's magical tales. Smudgy mixed-media illustrations set an appropriately bleak tone initially, dominated by beiges and grays. Visible brush and pencil strokes nevertheless imbue Otto's world with an intimacy that's heightened as he's joined by other animals and as Mildenberger introduces bright colors; this is a visually inspired celebration of how storytelling can expand our world. The book's ending offers a clever callback to the book's refrain. A testament to the powerful draw of stories.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
