As far as possible, I try to source books from independent bookstores for my book clubs. And so, when Eureka Books informed me that Ottoline Goes to School was out of stock with the publisher, I decided to read Ottoline at Sea with the June edition of my book club instead! It feels like a win-win for me because I’m reading one Ottoline book with my May batch and another with my June batch!
Ottoline at Sea is another delightful book featuring the intrepid Ottoline and her friend Mr Munroe. Just like the others in the series, it is a perfect mixture of serious and hilarious because of the seriousness with which it addresses impossibility. I know that humour of this kind is not every child’s cup of tea, but the illustrations are sure to delight them all, even those who aren’t drawn into the story!
Collections
Just like when we read Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, we’ll talk about things we collect. Ottoline’s parents are “roving collectors”, and Ottoline herself has a postcard collection and a collection of odd shoes. What do you collect? I’d love to know, and I’d love to take a look!
Travel Journal
Children learn to express themselves through writing at different ages, but a travel journal does not require you to write much! Ottoline is wondering where to go on holiday and she doesn’t notice that Mr Munroe keeps giving her hints about wanting to go to Norway. When he disappears, she sets off for Norway – and this will be our prompt for a travel journal of our own. Through illustrations and words, I will ask the children to create a travel journal based on anyplace they’ve visited on holiday.
Design a Vehicle
Ottoline and Mr Munroe travel in unusual ways! Similar to the cars we designed as we read By Royal Appointment, we will design vehicles that could fly, dive, and perhaps even teleport! I can’t wait to see what the children come up with.
Join my book club!
Registrations are closed for this edition of my book club. New batches begin every alternate month. Join my mailing list if you would like to receive email notifications about my programmes. Alternatively, follow me on social media – Facebook and Instagram – for regular updates.
Leave a Reply