Otis & Peanut: Forever and Ever

There are many ways to remember someone who is no longer with you, and sharing special memories with others who knew them can make someone feel happy, sad, or both. Sometimes losing someone reminds you to make memories with the people you care about. In this second volume of the “Otis & Peanut” series, Otis, a long-haired guinea pig, and his friend Peanut, a naked mole rat, remember Peanut’s sister, Pearl, and make and preserve memories of Pearl, Peanut’s sister and Otis’s friend.

In the first story, “The Cake”, Peanut brings cake to Otis’s house, and they engage in a debate over whether cake requires a special occasion to be eaten. Otis wins, and the cake goes into the freezer for a special occasion; however, Peanut shows up the next day with a second cake. Now they have one for a special occasion, and one to eat immediately. When Otis finds out the cake has the kind of icing Pearl used to make, Otis’s favourite, Otis and Peanut embark on a week-long cake-eating adventure in the vein of Green Eggs and Ham: they eat cake on a swing, on a bus, and by the chunk, piece, and crumb. When the cake is all gone, they know what needs to be done: the cake from the freezer becomes their next adventure.

In the second story, “The Dream”, Peanut is planting strawberry plant seeds when he sees siblings playing in a sprinkler and decides to take out a sprinkler and play, too. He realizes it will never be the same without Pearl, but, when a rainbow appears in the spray of water, he feels Pearl is with him.

In the final story, “The Collection”, Peanut peeks in through a window and sees Otis working on a scrapbook. Otis explains to Peanut that the scrapbook holds his memories. Peanut boasts he keeps his favourite memories in his head, but, when Otis warns that memories kept in your head can fade over time, Peanut quickly starts collecting objects and photos to help keep memories fresh. He notices the box, a gift from Otis, doesn’t have many memories yet. This observation inspires Otis and Peanut to embark on another adventure, adding new memories to the box. The story ends with a list of tips for preserving memories of your own.

The three stories in Otis & Peanut: Forever and Ever tackle the difficult topic of grieving but in a very gentle way. Through simple, expressive illustrations primarily in yellow, pink, and blue, Otis and Peanut show readers how to be kind and supportive when a friend loses a loved one as well as how to celebrate and relive memories created with their loved one. The book also reminds readers that remembering someone can be happy and sad at the same time, and that, even after they’re gone, they are with you when new memories are being made.

Whether readers have lost someone or have experienced an event that has upset them, such as moving or a friendship ending, Otis & Peanut: Forever and Ever will help readers process the loss and revisit memories while looking forward to making new memories with people familiar and new. With characters who are always up for fun, especially when it involves cake, the theme of grieving and remembering is woven into the stories in a way that allows adults to decide whether to talk about it or purely focus on the antics of Otis and Peanut. No matter how the book is used, Otis & Peanut: Forever and Ever is an excellent read that will tug at the heartstrings and inspire readers to plan their next memory-making adventure and maybe make a cake or two.