Oliver's Tree

by Kit Chase, Kit Chase (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet three adorable best friends from debut author/illustrator talent with a huge Etsy following
 
Oliver, Charlie, and Lulu love to play outside together. Their favorite game is hide-and-seek, but it’s not fun for Oliver when his friends hide in the trees—he can’t reach them! So the friends set off to find a tree that Oliver can play in.

But there’s a reason we don’t see elephants in trees, and just when Oliver is ready to give up the search, Charlie and Lulu surprise him with the perfect tree for them all to play in together!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399257001
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/20/2014
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	270,505
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Kit Chase is a freelance artist and writer who is perhaps best known for leaving behind trails of broken pencils, eraser fragments, chewed pens, and scraps of scribbled paper. She is the founder and imaginator for LullaLoo, LLC, which operates out of trafalgarssquare.com. Kit resides in sunny Southern California with her sidekick husband, four rollicking children, and a rowdy corgi. She dreams of someday having a backyard full of climb-worthy trees. This is her first book.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for OLIVER’S TREE:
 
 
STARRED REVIEW FROM KIRKUS:
“Warm, appealing watercolors defined with pen and ink and containing just the right amount of detail show the three friends . . . Young children will root for the three friends, enjoy the mild suspense and delight in the very satisfying ending. As gentle and unassuming as Oliver, this story thoroughly charms.” 
 
 
FROM BOOKLIST:
“In her debut offering, Chase effectively captures how friendship warms the heart. . . . An excellent story for little ones at bedtime and for sharing anytime with beginning readers.”
 
 
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
“Chase’s crisp, chipper narration never attempts to manipulate readers’ feelings, and her restraint, combined with her subtly expressive characters and the elegant prettiness of her watercolor and ink drawings, lends the book a distinctly British lilt that inoculates it against treacliness. The “Awww” that will all but inevitably accompany the final scene—a rousing game of pirate pretend play—is thoroughly deserved.”
 
 
FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
“An adorable elephant, a sweet-faced rabbit, and a pudgy little owl play hide-and-seek in the forest. . . . 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.”
 
 
FROM SHELF AWARENESS:
“This charming tale of friendship will have children and parents eager for more from first-time author and artist Kit Chase.”

Editorial Reviews

12/09/2013
Illustrator Chase debuts with a sweet yet tightly constructed story of friendship and ingenuity. Lulu (a bird), Charlie (a rabbit), and Oliver (an elephant) are playing hide and seek in the forest. But Oliver’s girth puts him at a competitive disadvantage: his friends can hide in trees and he can’t. “It’s hopeless!” says the elephant, walking away in frustration and embarrassment. “Elephants just don’t belong in trees!” Oliver’s friends are determined to include him, however, and with some clever planning and sweat equity, they build a brilliant and fully accessible tree house out of a stump that’s “Perfect for all of us!” Chase’s crisp, chipper narration never attempts to manipulate readers’ feelings, and her restraint, combined with her subtly expressive characters and the elegant prettiness of her watercolor and ink drawings, lends the book a distinctly British lilt that inoculates it against treacliness. The “Awww” that will all but inevitably accompany the final scene—a rousing game of pirate pretend play—is thoroughly deserved. Ages 3–5. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for OLIVER’S TREE:
 
 
STARRED REVIEW FROM KIRKUS:
“Warm, appealing watercolors defined with pen and ink and containing just the right amount of detail show the three friends . . . Young children will root for the three friends, enjoy the mild suspense and delight in the very satisfying ending. As gentle and unassuming as Oliver, this story thoroughly charms.” 
 
 
FROM BOOKLIST:
“In her debut offering, Chase effectively captures how friendship warms the heart. . . . An excellent story for little ones at bedtime and for sharing anytime with beginning readers.”
 
 
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
“Chase’s crisp, chipper narration never attempts to manipulate readers’ feelings, and her restraint, combined with her subtly expressive characters and the elegant prettiness of her watercolor and ink drawings, lends the book a distinctly British lilt that inoculates it against treacliness. The “Awww” that will all but inevitably accompany the final scene—a rousing game of pirate pretend play—is thoroughly deserved.”
 
 
FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
“An adorable elephant, a sweet-faced rabbit, and a pudgy little owl play hide-and-seek in the forest. . . . 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.”
 
 
FROM SHELF AWARENESS:
“This charming tale of friendship will have children and parents eager for more from first-time author and artist Kit Chase.

From the Publisher

02/01/2014
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

School Library Journal

★ 2013-12-11
It's no fun for anyone when someone is left out! Baby elephant Oliver has two very good friends: Lulu, an owlet, and Charlie, a bunny. Playing outside is something they love to do, but the happy trio runs into trouble while trying to climb trees, because Oliver just can't manage due to his bulk. Warm, appealing watercolors defined with pen and ink and containing just the right amount of detail show the three friends as they patiently search for a tree that is perfect for all of them. Simple text describes their trial and error, as they find trees that are too small, too weak or too tall. "It's hopeless!" wails Oliver. "Elephants just don't belong in trees!" When Oliver, exhausted by their efforts, succumbs to sleep, Lulu and Charlie hatch a plan to solve the problem by using their own unique talents. Will they succeed and provide Oliver with a happy surprise? No doubt! Suffused with warmth and gentle humor, this deceptively simple story demonstrates the power of friendship, the importance of working together and problem-solving, while simultaneously introducing basic concepts (high/low, tall/short) in a pleasing, organic way. Young children will root for the three friends, enjoy the mild suspense and delight in the very satisfying ending. As gentle and unassuming as Oliver, this story thoroughly charms. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews