Publisher Description

An imaginative child who doesn't quite fit in finds a kindred spirit in this utterly charming picture book from a debut author-illustrator.

Oliver is different. He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver's day is never dull. There are bridges to cross, sharks to fight, and treasures to find! But maybe toys don't always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised.

Author Biography

Birgitta Sif studied art and design in the United States and worked as a children's book designer at several publishers before moving to England to study illustration. She calls Oliver, her first book, "the beginning of the best journey I've ever taken." Recently she returned to live in her native Reykjavík, Iceland.

Review

A lovely gift—aglow with warmth and welcome—for those who feel, or have ever felt, different.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Sif has a firm grasp of the possibilities of the picture book form, and her debut's gentle humor promises good work to come.
—Pubilshers Weekly

Whimsical pencil illustrations, digitally colored in a palette of subdued greens, blues, lavenders, and browns, evoke Oliver's surroundings and his own idiosyncrasies in humorous detail.
—School Library Journal

A thoughtful debut from a promising new artist.
—Kirkus Reviews Children's Blog

Review Quote

A lovely gift--aglow with warmth and welcome--for those who feel, or have ever felt, different. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Sif has a firm grasp of the possibilities of the picture book form, and her debut's gentle humor promises good work to come. --Pubilshers Weekly Whimsical pencil illustrations, digitally colored in a palette of subdued greens, blues, lavenders, and browns, evoke Oliver's surroundings and his own idiosyncrasies in humorous detail. --School Library Journal A thoughtful debut from a promising new artist. --Kirkus Reviews Children's Blog

Details