Otto the top dog by Catherine Rayner

Otto has a terrific life and best of all he has his 'lovely comfy' cushion-soft basket. Otto is also a kind dog, and he loves to share so it seems quite natural that he would ask a friend to come over for a visit and, because they are both a little tired, Otto tells Lupin he is welcome to share his basket. 

This is of course just the beginning because Lupin tells other dogs at the park about Otto's wonderful basket. Eventually even more dogs arrive, and poor old Otto is totally squashed and unhappy. How can he solve this problem without hurting the feelings of his friends?

If you love dogs and you love endpapers you have to find this book! I can imagine spending time with your young reading companion looking closely at the face of each dog (there are over 90) talking about each dog - their breed and personality.

Publisher blurb: After Otto invites one of his friends to share his comfy basket, word quickly spreads around the neighbourhood. Soon he's sharing his cosy bed with all the dogs in the area, even taking in the local strays! Before he knows it, everyone is having the best sleep in his beloved basket: everyone, but Otto! Will Otto ever get his basket back to himself? And will he still like it if he does?

Here is a review from IBBY.uk: The illustrations are wonderful, so accurately drawn in each dog’s own body and character. A perfect book about kindness and sharing, and re-thinking what to do when things at first don’t work perfectly.

I think all primary school libraries should have at least one, but preferably more, book by Catherine Rayner. Her art is amazing yes, but her stories also always have another deeper layer of meaning such as the themes in this book about kindness, sharing, and problem solving. You can see a few pages inside this book here. My friend is crazy about her dog - she is sure to love this book because one of the dogs from the park is named Bentley! With your class you could make a list of all the dog names from this book and then make a list of pets and their names from your class. This book was published in 2024 and the hardcover is only AUS$27 but many of Catherine Rayner's books are now available in paperback. 

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