First Responder on the Farm! Otis And the Kittens by Loren Long

IT WAS HOT AND DRY ON THE FARM.

OTIS COULDN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME IT HAD RAINED.

It is a sun-baked fall in farm country, and Otis the tractor has done his part to bring the last bales of hay to the barn. Water is too low in the creek for the animals to cool off in, and it's too hot to enjoy the sunny days of early fall, but in the early evening, Otis can't resist the Bull's snorts that invite him to play tug-of-war with their friends.

One day Otis is keeping cool with the other animals under his apple tree when he spots something new.

IT LOOKS TO BE A TABBY CAT! WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?

OTIS WATCHED AS SHE RAN TOWARD THE OLD BARN.

AND THEN HE SAW SOMETHING THAT CAUSED HIS ENGINE TO SPUTTER... A SWIRL OF SMOKE!!

Instantly he sees the danger--a fire in the old barn filled with very dry bales of hay! With a huff and a chuff, Otis charges into the barn, where he sees the tabby cat in the loft with a litter of four little kittens, meowing for help. Otis entices the kittens down, and with them clinging to hi chassis, he takes them outside to safety. But the mother cat turns and rushes, meowing frantically, back into the flaming barn.

OTIS WAS AFRAID, BUT HE DASHED BACK INTO THE BURNING BARN.

THE LAST KITTEN'S HEAD POPPED UP, TREMBLING FROM FEAR.

Gently Otis coaxes the mother and kitten down and out of the barn, but as he starts out himself, the floor collapses under him. Fire Chief Douglas has arrived with his firetruck, but there is not enough water to put out the fire. How can Otis be saved?

It's Otis' friend the big Bull and his tug-of-war team to the rescue, and all's well that ends well for the doughty little tractor, in Loren Long's Otis and The Kittens (Philomel Books, 2016). There's plenty of suspense in Long's latest Otis adventure, with a happy story which celebrates courage and loyalty in exciting language that will please picture book fans of this happy little farm helper. Long's pencil and gouache illustrations are as pleasing as always, with skilled use of perspective and composition that makes this one a first-rate read aloud choice. For more fall farm fare, pair it with Loren Long's excellent Otis and the Scarecrow (see review here).

What Does the Scrowcrow Know? Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long

IT WAS SUMMER WHEN THE SCARECROW CAME TO THE FARM.

Otis, the cheerful, chuffing little old tractor, never seems to meet a stranger. That is, until the scarecrow seems to grow tall right in the cornfield. Otis huffs and puffs up to greet the newcomer staring down the pesky crows, but Otis's initiative draws not a smile or even a glance. The Scarecrow keeps scowling into the distance, and Otis' welcome is given short shrift. The other animals get the same dead-eyed stare and frown. The cheeky crows react first with fear, but finally with disdain, perching on his straw hat and overall-clad shoulders.

As the fall colors fade toward wintry shades, Otis does his chores, chugging by, pulling wagon loads of pumpkins and hay bales on their way in from the fields to the barn, but the Scarecrow never nods a scant greeting as the little tractor huff-puffs by. The farm animals recognize that the Scarecrow wants no company, and they give him his privacy gladly. No one seems to know what goes in inside the Scarecrow's head.

Then the autumn is gone, and winter weather chases Otis and his barnyard friends under cover in the cozy barn.

AND IN THE FIELD, SWAYING BACK AND FORTH IN THE COLD WIND AND RAIN, WAS THE SCARECROW.

OTIS THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THE SCARECROW MUST BE FEELING.

Slowly Otis cranks up and chug-chugs up to stop right beside the Scarecrow, sharing the heat from his warm engine. As the storm batters them, one by one the farm animals abandon their cover and come up to join Otis in a quiet circle around the Scarecrow.

AS OTIS WATCHED, HE COULDN'T BE SURE, BUT HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE SCARECROW SMILE.

Loren Long's fifth Otis story, Otis and the Scarecrow (Philomel, 2014), has the exuberant Otis encountering for the first time someone whom he can't quite seem to befriend. Author-illustrator Long leaves the ending ambiguous. Does the empathy of the Otis and friends draw a smile from the silent scarecrow or not? Still, Long's beautiful retro-styled pencil and gouache illustrations and ruddy autumnal palette warm the heart in this gentle tale of easy-going empathy that models concern for the outsider.

Pair this one with Long's Christmas entry An Otis Christmas (see 2013 review here).