Otto the Ornament
by Troy Cummings; illus. by the author
Primary    Random    40 pp.
9/23    9780593481202    $12.99
Library ed.  9780593481219    $15.99
e-book ed.  9780593481226    $7.99

The tree ornaments are enjoying a “peaceful and calm” Christmas Eve when Otto, a brand-new, “snazzy…jazzy…Christmas-pizzazzy!” ornament, shows up and insists: “A superstar like me belongs on the top of the tree.” Glittery Otto is rebuffed by the group (after obnoxiously pointing out the others’ flaws) and sets out to find his own tree. But the perfect tree is missing something: “What’s the point of being at the top if I don’t have anyone to share it with?” The journey home is harrowing, and Otto returns chastened and lacking his previous luster but with a new appreciation for community. Lively cartoonlike illustrations depict Otto’s adventures with flair and heart.

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.