Otis and the Tornado

Written by Loren Long

Narrated by Chris Sorensen

A recipient of two Golden Kite Awards for excellence in children's literature, Loren Long is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of the delightful Otis series. Otis the faithful farm tractor is frolicking in the meadow with his animal friends when an approaching tornado darkens the sky and threatens the farm. Rousing the animals for another game of follow-the-leader, Otis calmly guides them to the safety of a protected valley. But as the twister turns toward the barn, Otis hears the frantic bellowing of the bull, still locked in his pen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490633251

Loren Long

Loren Long is the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture book Love by Matt de la Pena, as well as the author-illustrator of Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis and the Puppy, An Otis Christmas, and Otis and the Scarecrow. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of President Barack Obama’s picture book Of Thee I Sing and the reillustrated edition of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. He lives in Ohio. To learn more, please visit www.lorenlong.com.

Reviews for Otis and the Tornado

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Otis the tractor and his farmyard friends return in this second picture-book devoted to their adventures, enjoying many games of follow-the-leader together. Only the unfriendly bull refuses to play with the others. When a terrible tornado threatens the farm, Otis leads all his friends to safety in Mud Creek, only to belatedly realize that the bull is still trapped in his pen, right in the tornado's path. Undaunted, the little tractor sets out to rescue this erstwhile enemy...Like its predecessor, Otis and the Tornado pairs an engaging and ultimately heartwarming tale with engrossing illustrations. I grew up on my mother's stories about her childhood in Kansas, and the tornadoes that she survived, so I found this entry in author/illustrator Loren Long's series quite interesting. I thought he did an excellent job building the sense of suspense, both textually and visually, and can imagine that young children will be on the edge of their seats, as Otis saves the animals. The two-page spread where tiny Otis sees the tornado bearing down on him is really quite gripping! Of the three Otis the Tractor books I have read thus far, I think this is my favorite. Recommended to fans of this character, and to anyone looking for children's stories about tornadoes.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How we love Otis!! He always does the right thing without thinking twice. It is no wonder he has so many lovely, devoted friends! Easy to teach my boys about being good a good friend when there is such a sweet example to read over and over.

[teresacruz-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first I didn't think the story was great, but as events took place I realized I was reading about the meaning of friends and how even if others are mean to you, you need to be nice to them.

[dukefan86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. While the friendship among the farm animals is sweet, the addition of Otis the Tractor really ups the charming factor for me. Cute children's book.

[jodieasley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is written with a strong sense of personification. Otis, the farm tractor, is a humble character that overcomes the bullying of the bull on the farm. I enjoyed this version of the theme of bullying because it shows that despite bullying occurring, Otis still found it in his heart to forgive and help the bull. Other than teaching for an anti-bullying environment, I can use this book in my classroom to give examples of personification or to teach about different types of weather, ie. tornadoes.

[zeebreez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Long, Loren. Otis and the Tornado. New York:Philomel Books, 2011. In this new book the main character is a tractor named Otis. He is friendly and loves to play with the farm animals. He stays away from a mean bull. Then a tornado rips through the farm and Otis must decide whether to listen to his fears or to do what he knows is right. The illustrations are charming and full of expression. You can see the determination on the face of Otis. This would be a good story to teach kids to be brave and to face their fears.This can also helps kids open up about making friends and what is a true friend. Age Group: 5-9 years.