Review by Booklist Review
Ollie, a pig, and his bossy sister never see eye to eye on anything. When she sees cows from the window of a train, Ollie spots exciting water buffalo. She grumbles about all the cars keeping them stuck in traffic, but Ollie sees a wonderful circus parade with performing acts. Is Ollie's imagination or poor eyesight responsible for the differences---or could it be both? After Ollie's teacher realizes the piglet is unable to correctly read what's on the blackboard--he observes birds with long beaks and legs while the teacher is pointing to different styles of the letter A--Ollie's parents make an eye appointment for him. The verso contains the majority of text, while the cartoon illustrations decorate the recto and reveal what each of the siblings sees. Muted colors are used with a splash of red, yellow, and blue--as well as pig pink. If readers look closely, they will observe that everyone in the story except for Ollie wears glasses. An engaging and imaginative look at perspective.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This Dutch fantasy centers a young pig who sees differently from those around him. Posthuma's ink-and-wash drawings, putting off strong William Steig vibes, show Ollie and his family on a train excursion (his mother calls these outings "Happy Family Time"). Ollie's easily bored sister dismisses the cows she spots in the countryside: "How dull," she grumbles. Ollie, however, sees water buffalo, with "hooves that could squash any sister." On another outing, stuck in traffic, she groans. "You might be older," Ollie thinks to himself, "and bigger. But you don't see clearly." Amid the sea of cars, Ollie spots a parade with mice acrobats and trained seals. Suspicions grow that Ollie's eyesight is the problem. His teacher shows the class alphabet charts; Ollie sees birds and whales. Does Ollie really need glasses? Or is he just a pig who sees the world his own way? Posthuma's subversive drawings are full of snarky mirth: Ollie's sister's "grizzling" is all the funnier for being spoken by a pig in a dainty dress and pearls. In a fine translation by Nagelkerke, Akveld champions staying true to oneself, no matter what others indicate those letters on the eye chart are. Ages 5--9. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--Who determines what "perfect" is, and how can a child's imagination shape that? For Ollie, a somewhat smug pink pig, the ability to see the world in his own unique way is thoroughly satisfying. While his sister can see only boring cows in a field, Ollie envisions water buffalo with sharp horns and hooves that could trample his grouchy sister. Unfortunately Ollie's teacher thinks that his view of the world needs adjusting as well, and Ollie is forced to bend to conventional expectations, at least some of the time. Whimsical, expressive illustrations done in ink and watercolor and a superb, humorous story that celebrates individuality and nonconformity make this a first purchase. VERDICT Ideal for shelves about outsiders and those who march to that different beat, this encourages all children to view the world with wonder.--John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young pig uses vivid imagination--and possibly poor eyesight?--against sibling woes. Ollie's a pale-pink pig in a blue beret. He's also a younger brother. His sister, who's "bigger. And older," is weighing him down. She scowls and looks disdainful; she's a sourpuss, raining on parades. The intimate narrative voice ("Look, there's Ollie. Maybe you already know him?") says that Ollie's sister "grizzle[s]"--a word most readers will learn right here--"a lot." On family outings, Ollie's sister calls cows "dull," cars "dumb," and an excursion boat a "slowpoke." Ollie, rebelling, sees not cows but water buffalo; not cars but a circus parade with acrobats; and no plain slowpoke boat but a pirate ship--on which his sister's tied to the mast. Ollie's fantasy flights work so well as resistance to negativity that it's baffling when, almost halfway through, a new possible cause for what he sees emerges: Ollie needs glasses. The sudden theme of weak eyesight never quite finds its place, nor does Ollie ever admit that he does need glasses, though readers see the evidence on the classroom blackboard--or does Ollie simply value imaginative play higher than teacher approval? In which case, why was the early theme so sister-focused? It's OK--Posthuma's neat borders, pale colors inside fine outlines, and steady visual restraint in even the outlandish scenes make for a tale that's quirky yet calming. From the Netherlands, an appreciation of imagination. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
