Customer Reviews

Oliver Finds His Way

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've never written a review before, but I had to contribute here. The illustrations are cozy and charming (Oliver runs just like a toddler!), and Oliver shows commendable initiative (teaching little ones to think things over and come up with solutions). It's also a good participatory book: When Oliver "roars" his way back to his parents, our 2-year-old learned to do the roars. This has become our family's favorite book.

This is a wonderful little book that I have found very, very useful in teaching children safety. Oliver, a small bear, wonders away from his family's home and becomes lost in the woods. This is something that most kids do. I remember that well over sixty years ago I had adventures quite like that of our foolish little bear in this story. I use this work to teach children what to do and what not to do when lost. How it is not a good idea to wonder off without telling Mom or dad, and what to do when actually list. Oliver did some things right and somethings wrong. It is an excellent work which children seem to understand and relate to. As to the illustrations. The price of this book is well worth ever dime you spend just for the wonderful art work found in this work. It is truely impressive! All in all I highly recommend this one.

This book is absolutely amazing. The story is a timeless one, told sparingly and with a child's viewpoint in mind. The illustrations are some of the best I've ever seen, filled with emotion that leaps off the pages.
As for J.H., who found the book dangerous: I think your sort of thinking is dangerous. Deciding a book is less worthy because it discusses a real life problem makes no sense, and is the sort of thinking that leads to censorship. Children get lost. Not reading a book about it will not keep it from happening. Use this book as a way to discuss the topic, instead.
And by the way, try keeping your kid in a cart next time.

this book has beautiful illustrations and is fun to read with young children. my son laughed every time I "roared".

We picked this book up at the library and now we just have to own it! It is a wonderful story about a sweet little bear who while following a leaf gets lost and has to find his way home. The illustrations by Christopher Denise are so precious and my 7 1/2 year old son just loves this book because of them! We have read this book together over and over and over again. He really loves the illustrations and the story. Anything that is so gentle and that can capture the heart of a 7 1/2 year old boy has got to be magic! You can tell that Phyllis Root and Christopher Denise enjoyed putting this wonderful book together! I can't recommend this book enough! This is something that my son and I will spend many times together reading and I will hold onto this book for him so that someday when he has a son we can read it together!

"Oliver Finds His Way" is a nice, simple story that I think any child would relate to. And the artwork is just so lovely to look at. My daughter loves to "Roar!" along with Oliver.

The same day I read this book to my 4-year-old, we'd been doing some shopping. My daughter was standing right beside me . . . and then she wasn't. I looked up and down the aisles and then saw her at the store's front door, trying to open it and go out. She couldn't find me, so she thought I had left! After I assured her that I would never leave a store without her, I stressed the importance of *staying in one spot* if she should ever get separated from me again.

So what does that have to do with this book? Well, Oliver is a bear who gets lost in the woods. But does he stay in one spot so his parents can come find him? No! He does the exact opposite of what I had just that morning instructed my child to do. (In fact, Oliver's parents are the ones who stayed put in their yard, even though they knew their little one was lost and calling to them!)

To give Oliver credit, he roars as loud as he can; his parents roar back, Oliver heads off to find his way home, and the adult reader realizes that he is following the sound of his parents' roaring to guide himself home. But this isn't stated explicitly, and the young child may very well not understand exactly what Oliver is doing.

The illustrations are excellent, so I'm not recommending avoiding this book altogether. But if you read it to your child, please take the opportunity to discuss what you would like your child to do if he or she gets lost.