Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Oliver
Novelty Book
For ages 3 to 6
Lemniscaat USA, 2011 ISBN: 1935954016
Oliver is an egg, and there is “really nothing that he could do about it.” Being an egg does not leave you with many options in life. Oliver is able to roll to the left, and to the right. He can even stand on his head, but he can’t do much else. Being an egg does not provide Oliver with much scope for adventure.
Then one day, and with no warning, something extraordinary happens and Oliver is no longer an egg. He is something else.
Little children are amazed when things change before their eyes. They cannot imagine how a chrysalis changes into a butterfly, how a magician can pull a rabbit out of what was an empty hat, and how a pan of gooey batter can turn into a delicious cake. These transformations seem magical.
In this deliciously clever novelty book, Christopher Franceschelli captures the wonder of change with a text and photographs that are beautifully minimal. Children will love the little bit of magic that occurs when Oliver changes into something that is decidedly unegglike.
