Vivian Walsh

Too much like Saturday morning cartoons for me; I don't eat cereal with sugar. But I can definitely see the appeal for some readers, especially for certain kids. I might even have to give the first Olive book another try, even though I thought it so lame (I don't recall, but I may not have realized that Olive was a dog when I read that).

I liked this book for two reasons. One reason I liked this book was for the main character Olive. Although he's a dog, I feel like children can relate to his character. Olive is obviously not like the other reindeer, but he has things about him that make him just as special. I think that children can relate because they may not be like their friends or classmates, but they are just as special. Another reason I liked this book was for the illustrations. I really liked how the pictures aren't show more drawn like typical drawings. The characters in this book are all odd looking, but really cute at the same time. I think it adds a little extra element to the book. Overall, I think that message of this story is that everyone has something great to offer and being different isn't a bad thing. show less

Two creatures, June and August, meet in the dark night to admire the stars. They become friends and describe themselves so they can meet during the day. But will they be able to find each and are they too different to be friends?

This simple story of friendship and recognizing others' unique abilities and features is illustrated in a wildly surreal landscape of shooting stars, twisting jungles, and contrasting backgrounds.

I'm not sure how children will react to this story. The art and plot show more seem too complex, but even preschoolers should be able to grasp the idea of people's perceptions of themselves not always matching how others see them. They should also enjoy identifying the different animals.

Verdict: I'd like to test this on some actual children to see how they react. I believe there's been a lot of excitement over the art, but I'm a little doubtful about it.

ISBN: 0810984105; Published September 2009 by Abrams; Borrowed from the library show less

"Olive, the Other Reindeer" is a picture book about Olive, a dog who mishears a line from a Christmas song and believes she's meant to be a reindeer. Excited about her newfound purpose, Olive embarks on a journey to the North Pole to join Santa's sleigh team. Along the way, she faces challenges and meets new friends who help her realize the true meaning of belonging and friendship. This book is best utilized for younger children around the kindergarten age level.