Otto’s Long Lunch
Example guide for Sophie, age 6–8
About the story
Otto is a slow, kind tortoise. One sunny morning he packs a basket of dandelion sandwiches and sets off across the meadow to have lunch with his best friend, Pearl the hedgehog, under the old oak tree. On the way he keeps stopping to help: he lets Rosie the rabbit climb on his shell to find her way home, carries Mrs Duck’s ducklings across the stream, and turns Bertie the beetle the right way up. Each time he shares a sandwich, and each time he gets later. By sunset his basket is empty and Otto is worried he has let Pearl down. But when he reaches the oak, Pearl and all the friends he helped have hurried ahead and laid out a picnic under the stars, just for him.
Characters
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Otto
A slow, gentle tortoise who can’t walk past anyone who needs a hand.
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Pearl
A hedgehog and Otto’s best friend. Patient, and full of surprises.
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Rosie
A young rabbit who gets lost in the long grass and is too small to see over it.
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Mrs Duck
A busy mother duck whose ducklings are too little to cross the stream.
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Bertie
A beetle stuck on his back, who knows exactly how Otto would feel.
What happens
- Otto packs a basket of sandwiches and sets off to have lunch with Pearl.
- He lets Rosie the rabbit stand on his shell to spot her way home.
- He carries Mrs Duck’s ducklings across the stream on his back.
- He turns Bertie the beetle the right way up, and shares his last sandwich.
- Otto arrives at sunset with an empty basket, worried he has let Pearl down.
- Pearl and his new friends have made him a picnic under the stars.
Questions to talk about
- Remember what happened, and who was there
- Understand why things happened, and how characters felt
- Your thoughts what your child thinks, and why
Where was Otto going, and who was he going to see?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
To the old oak tree across the meadow, to have lunch with Pearl the hedgehog.
Keep talking
- What did he pack in his basket?
- Who would you take a picnic to?
Who did Otto stop to help on the way?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Rosie the rabbit, Mrs Duck and her ducklings, and Bertie the beetle.
Keep talking
- Who did he help first?
- Can you remember how he helped each one?
What was waiting for Otto when he got to the oak tree?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Pearl and all the friends he’d helped, with a picnic laid out under the stars.
Keep talking
- What time of day was it by then?
Why did Otto keep stopping when he was already late?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Because the others needed help, and being kind mattered more to him than being on time.
Keep talking
- Was that a good idea? Why?
- What else could Otto have done?
Why was Otto worried when he got near the oak tree?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
He was very late and had given all his sandwiches away, so he thought he had let Pearl down.
Keep talking
- Have you ever worried you’d let a friend down, Sophie?
Why do you think Otto understood how Bertie the beetle felt?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Because a tortoise stuck on its back can’t turn over either, so Otto knew how scary that would be.
Keep talking
- Can you think of a time you understood how someone felt because it happened to you?
How did the friends Otto helped get to the oak tree before him?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
They were much quicker than him: Rosie hopped, and the ducks swam and flew, so they got there first.
Keep talking
- Why do you think they wanted to help Otto back?
Was it a good thing that Otto was slow?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Any answer with a reason. Some children notice that going slowly is how he spotted everyone who needed help.
Keep talking
- Is it always best to be the fastest?
Which part of the story did you like best, Sophie?
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Suggested answer
Any answer, with a reason.
Keep talking
- What made that part fun?
If you met Otto on his walk, how would you help him?
Show the suggested answer
Suggested answer
Any kind, imaginative answer.
Keep talking
- What would you put in your picnic basket for him?
Things to do together
Plan a thank-you picnic
Think of someone who has helped Sophie lately. Plan a little picnic for them together: choose the food, draw an invitation and decide where it will be.
Act out Otto’s journey
Take turns being Otto and the animals he meets. Otto moves very slowly, and each animal has to explain what help they need. Try a different voice for each one.