NO ORDINARY OLIVE

Newcomer Baker takes on an old topic: How free spirits, however peculiar, allow us to see the world in a different, often better way. Young Olive, from the moment she entered the world, had a mind of her own. Depicted by Tilley (Fribbity Ribbit, 2001, etc.) in the spidery line-and-wash style of Roz Chast, Olive steps to her own beat, though never wildly or disturbingly so. Her parents, bless them, are behind their ragamuffin 100%, start to finish (they may be the true heroes of this tale). Olive’s exuberance—for that is how her imagination manifests itself—finds its first bump in the road in the shape of her teacher, Ms. Fishbone. Of course, her name should be Ms. Boneinthethroat, for a minor disturbance in her class lands Olive at the principal’s office. Mr. Weepole is even more of a stick-in-the-mud than Ms. Fishbone and can’t even see the joy and beauty of Olive having painted his desk in a tropical motif. Fortunately, the science, art, music, and drama teachers do see its beauty, helping convince Mr. Weepole that he ought to loosen up and cut Olive some slack. Olive is sweet enough, but more ingenious feet than Baker’s have trod this ground. (Picture book. 4-8)