No Ordinary Olive

This is a good book for gifted and talented kids. It make connections to doing your own thing and being true to yourself.

I love this character! She's funny and endearing and reminds me of children I know well: my own. Many parents will recognize their own kids in Olive. She has a unique brand of enthusiasm and spirit, and an approach to life that makes kids laugh. My three kids highly enjoyed this story, even the oldest, who at twelve, likes the rambunctiousness of the vocabulary as much as she likes Olive's rambunctious personality. Baker is a children's book writer whose sentences won't bore adults. "Mr. Weepole turned salmon pink, then maroon. Olive thought smoke would pour from his nostrils." I recommend this book as a good read-aloud, especially for kids with strong personalities. The illustrations are detailed and capture the character's humor and ebullience. We hope to see more stories about Olive and her adventures.

I recently gave this book to my 7 year old godniece and we have enjoyed reading it together many times already -- she loved Olive's many escapades. It's wonderful to see a young girl character with so much spunk and wit and I highly recommend this book.

"No Ordinary Olive" is a delightful book. Every page held a surprise both in words and in the illustrations. It brought back memories of my own childhood, and of the antics of my own four children. After reading the book, my seven-year-old daughter identified with Olive, making her proud of her unordinary accomplishments. In the past I ran a children's library, and if I were there today, I would read this story to the K-2 crowd. The story encourages girls to break out of the typical "girl mold." Boys will enjoy it, too, since Olive loves to try wacky things. "No Ordinary Olive" is no ordinary picture book.