Otto and One More Place

Otto the little bear has a blanket, a basket and three apples. His picnic is ready! One by one, his friends arrive. Will there be room for everyone? A short story to read aloud, with a phrase to join in with and six simple pictures to color.

👶 Age
4–5 years
⏱️ Reading time
About 4 minutes
🖍️ Coloring scenes
6 scenes

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Prints the cover and all six scenes, one per page, in story order.

Coloring cover with a thin black border: Otto the bear, Nina the bunny, Pina the bird and Milo the mouse share a picnic on a plain blanket, with a basket beside them.

Scene 1

A Picnic in the Meadow

Otto the little bear spreads a plain picnic blanket in a meadow and sets a basket with three apples on one corner; a thin black frame surrounds the white coloring page.

Today, Otto the little bear wants to have a picnic.

He spreads a blanket in the meadow. He puts his basket on one corner.

Inside are three apples. Otto counts them: “One, two, three!”

He looks around and smiles. “A picnic is even better with friends.”

Scene 2

Hop, Hop: Here Comes Nina!

Nina the bunny, with a bow on one ear, brings a large carrot to Otto; the basket sits on a corner of the blanket, inside a thin black page border.

Hop, hop! Nina the bunny comes across the meadow.

“May I sit with you?” she asks. She is carrying a big carrot.

Otto pats the blanket. “There’s a place for you, too!”

Nina sits beside him. Now there are two friends at the picnic.

Scene 3

A Little Song

Pina the small round bird lands beside Otto and Nina on the picnic blanket, with the basket still in its corner; the drawing has a white background and a thin black frame.

Tweet, tweet! Pina the little bird lands nearby.

“May I join you? I’ve brought a song!”

Otto and Nina wave. “There’s a place for you, too!”

Pina sings a little tune. Three friends sway from side to side.

Scene 4

Milo’s Quiet Voice

Milo the tiny mouse stands just outside the picnic blanket while Otto, Nina and Pina turn toward him; the large basket takes up a corner, and a thin black frame surrounds the drawing.

Rustle, rustle. Milo the little mouse peeks out from a bush.

“May I come, too?” he asks in a quiet voice.

He looks at the blanket. There are three friends and one big basket.

“Oh,” says Milo. “Where could I sit?”

Scene 5

A Place for You, Too

Otto moves the picnic basket off the blanket, Nina shifts over and Pina welcomes Milo into the empty corner; simple black outlines and a thin black border sit on a white background.

Otto has an idea. He puts the basket on the grass beside the blanket.

Nina moves over a little. Pina moves over a little, too.

“Look, Milo!” they say. “There’s a place for you, too!”

Milo sits down. His round ears bounce as he smiles.

Scene 6

Four Happy Friends

Otto, Nina, Pina and Milo sit together on the blanket with a plate of apples and a carrot; the basket is beside them, within the thin black border of the white coloring page.

Otto puts the apples on a plate. Nina adds her carrot.

They share the food and listen to Pina’s song.

Milo counts: “One, two, three, four. Four friends!”

The blanket is the same. The basket is the same. But now there is a happy place for everyone.

The End.

“A little move can make room for a friend.”

Questions about the story

  1. Who came to Otto’s picnic? Point to each friend.
  2. What did Otto move to make a place for Milo?
  3. How could you welcome a friend to your game?

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