*Review* Otis and Peanut Forever and Ever by Naseem Hrab

Genre: Children's 6-8 years

Published: April 15, 2024

Pages: 80

The Frog and Toad-style duo returns in a new series of stories about celebrating loved ones, past and present

Otis and Peanut are back! Grounded in the tender, supportive friendship between a long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat, the second book in this junior graphic novel series explores themes of celebrating life's simple pleasures, grief, and making new memories with sensitivity, humor, and optimism.

The three stories in this book reveal how the pair feel the loss of Pearl, Peanut’s sister and Otis’s friend. In “The Cake,” Peanut bakes a sweet treat for Otis using Pearl’s recipe and teaches him that there’s always a good reason to eat cake―even if it’s for no reason at all! In “The Dream,” Peanut is missing his sister, but finds a way to keep her memory close. And in “The Collection,” the two friends celebrate old memories, and make some new ones.

Author Naseem Hrab brings wit and lightness to challenging subject matter. The profound lessons she shares about missing someone you love while holding them in your heart will resonate with young readers. Poignant, funny, and sweeter than a slice of Pearl’s Strawberry Layer Cake, Otis & Peanut Forever and Ever is a treat to be enjoyed at any time.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a collection of three stories about Otis and Peanut. One of the stories centered around eating cake, another was about planting seeds, sort of. And the final story was about keeping memories safe. In all three stories, Otis and Peanut were together, as best friends should be. 

I think I'd be okay reading this book a few times if I could convince the child that they only get one of the three stories with each reading. The stories themselves were somewhat simplistic, and they'd get boring real quick as an adult (as most children's books do). The illustrations were very bright but also incredibly yellow. 

Overall I give Otis and Peanut Forever and Ever 3.8945 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

NASEEM HRAB is a writer and storyteller, and the author of the Ira Crumb series, How to Party Like a Snail, Weekend Dad, and The Sour Cherry Tree, which was a Governor General’s Literary Awards winner. Her comedy writing has appeared on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The Rumpus. She loves improv and coffee ice cream. Naseem lives in Toronto, Ontario.

KELLY COLLIER was born in Ottawa and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where she still lives with her husband and daughter. She has an identical twin sister and an older brother. As kids, Kelly and her sister drew all the time, mostly in an effort to "outdraw" their brother. Kelly studied illustration in college and is both the author and illustrator of the Steve the Horse series.