‘Outcast Goes to the White House’ by Monty C. Floyd is a short children's book that would be a nice festive read for fans of Toy Story. In the first section ‘Timmy Discovers Outcast Otter’ we see how Outcast Otter gets his name as well as a loving home with Timmy before moving on to the second part and the adventures at the White House. This is a nice and short story, with rhythm in places and easy to understand writing for young readers. The story of Toys that have adventures while their owners aren’t looking will always evoke Toy Story for me, although I don’t think this book is trying to copy that storyline. I would have liked more illustrations throughout this book, to really capture the attention of younger readers. I like the lesson in ‘Outcast Goes to the White House’ that your differences are what make each of us special and, although not ideal for mass manufacture, won’t stop you from having adventures and a loving family and friends. I think that this would be a nice story for readers between 5 and 7 to enjoy.
When the manager of a toy factory discovers a toy otter with mismatched eyes, she tosses him into the rubbish bin. Thankfully, Timmy Carlton discovers the little fellow and gives him a home. Now Timmy is on a White House tour where he believes Outcast is in the coatroom, but he couldn’t be more mistaken. The Outcast Otter series' theme is accepting people who are dissimilar, and fostering new friendships. Outcast does this through his global travels with Timmy, where they meet characters from different faiths and nationalities. The series introduces children to international cities and customs through Outcast’s entertaining shenanigans. Look for more books in the “Outcast Goes To…” series coming soon, like “Outcast goes to Tokyo,” “Outcast goes to a Dude Ranch,” and "Outcast goes to Paris.”
