FICTION

Oliver's Tree

by Kit CHASE
illus. by Kit Chase. 32p. Putnam. Mar. 2014. RTE $16.99. ISBN 9780399257001.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—An adorable elephant, a sweet-faced rabbit, and a pudgy little owl play hide-and-seek in the forest. A problem arises when Lulu declares that trees are the best hiding places to hide, but Oliver, an elephant, is too big to join in the play. Saddened, he walks away from his friends, finds a large tree stump, and takes a nap. While he is asleep, his friends decorate the stump around Oliver, using branches, flowers, leaves, and grass to make a tree house that is big enough to accommodate them all. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are muted and soft, and the text is spare and sweet. A quiet testament to friendship and creative problem solving.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA
While playing hide-and-go-seek, Lulu the owl proclaims "trees are the best hiding spot," but Oliver, being an elephant, can't climb trees like she and rabbit Charlie can. Seeing Oliver's disappointment, the two friends set to work building a (ground-level) treehouse they can all play in together. Sweet pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations help deliver a tender story about friendship, imagination, and inclusion.
Reviewed by Jennifer Miskec , Feb 01, 2014

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