Otis the Tractor

Loren Long delivers a whimsical story of friendship and perseverance. Otis is a kind, hardworking farm tractor who befriends a motherless calf. After work, he and his pal love frolicking together in the fields-until one day Otis is replaced by a new tractor. Left to rust in the weeds, he feels useless and no longer wants to play. But when the calf gets in trouble-and firemen can't even help-Otis revs up to rescue his friend.

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.

Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be "It," finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm- a bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking faces- tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek.

The #1 bestselling creator of "Otis "and "Little Tree" presents an homage to firefighters everywhere and to the many boys and girls who dream big of being heroes! On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, it hasn't rained in a long time and farmers all over the valley have grown anxious with water in such short supply. One hot afternoon, when Otis and his friends are resting beneath the shade of the apple tree, Otis spots something moving down in the valley: an orange tabby cat headed straight for the old barn. But then Otis sees something else that causes his engine to sputter ... a swirl of smoke coming from the same barn. A fire! As Otis races toward the fire with his friends in tow, he spots the tabby cat mewing in alarm. Otis rushes inside to discover the source of the cat's worries--her little kittens are perched up on the hayloft, scared. Otis never hesitates. Yet even after he delivers a tractor full of kittens safely outside, their mama remains upset. Re-entering the burning barn, Otis discovers why: one tiny kitten, still too scared to move. With a friendly "chuff," Otis coaxes her down and she scampers out the door. That's when the floor collapses with a CRASH, trapping the tractor. Now Otis, the friend everyone can count on, must count on his friends. Told with a sense of play and devotion, this is a heartwarming tale that reminds readers that sometimes even those who we count on to help us need a little help themselves. From the creator of "Otis," "Otis and the Puppy," and the illustrator of "The Little Engine That Could" and "Of Thee I Sing" by President Barack Obama.