The Little Otter's Birthday

Olive the otter wakes on her birthday to a sparkling river and a flutter of hope in her cream belly. Yet when she slips into the cool water, her friends all seem oddly occupied: Pip the kingfisher rushes by trailing a red scarf, Bramble the beaver conceals something behind his flat tail, and Fern the frog splashes away with a giggle. Olive starts to wonder whether anyone has remembered her special day.

Soon a parade of bright leaves drifts down the current, each one trimmed with berries and flower petals, and her friends finally share the secret they have been keeping. Jane MEADOW's gentle story follows the small preparations Pip, Bramble and Fern have made, and through them Olive comes to understand how well her friends know what makes her happy. This calm, cheerful tale of friendship and belonging suits young children, early readers and families sharing a bedtime story, and it can be read on Kids Tale Book.