Otis Licks His Tiny Human
A picture book (ages 4-7).
The day Otis was adopted had been the happiest day of his life.
Illustrator note: Otis, a mixed breed puppy, is doing fun things with his new family—a couple.
From the first day he was at his new home, Otis went on long walks.
He ate tasty treats.
He played at the dog park.
He snuggled on the bed.
Illustrator note: Otis is growing up in these frames, getting bigger. With the “tasty treats” frame he’s being fed a treat while at the wedding of his humans. We also see the woman / wife is pregnant in the last frame—as Otis snuggles on the bed, his head is on her belly.
Then one day, his parents left, and for three days they didn’t come back.
Illustrator note: Otis waits by the door for them to come home; someone—the caretaker—is trying to get him to eat something but he doesn’t want it; he’d rather just stay by the door.
When they came back home, Otis was so excited. But he soon understood that something had changed. There was a tiny human here! His tiny human!
Illustrator note: Otis is introduced to a newborn baby: Tiny Human.
Otis wasn’t sure how to behave. But he quickly found out he shouldn’t drop his ball on his tiny human’s lap. Or lick it.
Illustrator note: Otis is being told no over and over again in these frames. But the couple are being calm & gentle.
Soon, Otis’s walks became shorter, and shorter, and shorter. He did everything he was trained to do but barely got any treats (sometimes none at all).
Illustrator note: Man / husband goes to treat Otis but the bag is empty. Man/husband scratches his head and apologizes to Otis for forgetting.
Weeks went by without a trip to the dog park.
And there didn’t seem to be any room on the bed anymore.
Illustrator note: Tiny Human gets their diaper changed on the bed. (they’re growing—8 months old)
Otis was sad. He just didn’t understand. Had he done something wrong?
Illustrator note: Man/husband takes Otis for a short walk and tells him it isn’t going to be like this forever.
Time went on and, though he remembered how things used to be, Otis learned to accept the changes to his life.
But then one day Otis watched as his tiny human picked up his ball.
Illustrator note: Otis is laying upside-down on his bed and watches as Tiny Human—who can walk now—bends down and picks up the ball. He rolls over and watches as Tiny Human throws it down the hallway.
He was so excited he didn’t know what to do with his body!
Illustrator note: Otis spins and spins. Man/husband and woman/wife nearby are telling him to “Go, buddy!” and “Go get the ball!”
And not long after that he had someone new to go on walks with.
Illustrator note: Tiny Human is now a toddler, walking beside Otis.
The dog park started coming to him.
Illustrator note: Tiny Human is now 4 or 5 years old; their friends come over their dogs and play in the yard.
He had a new bed he could snuggle in.
Illustrator note: Otis and Tiny Human sleep together in Tiny Human’s bed.
And each and every night Otis went to sleep happier than he ever thought he could be.
Illustrator note: Close up of Otis—older now, chin grey—with his eyes shut. Looks like he’s smiling.
