Book Review: Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman

Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman
Published by Templar Books (An imprint of Candlewick Press)
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-7
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summary:

When Molly shares a secret with Olive, the urge to tell is just too great! Olive tells Joe who tells Matt who tells Lola. But Lola is best friends with Molly. Uh-oh, the secret is out, and Olive is in for it!
Olive learns the hard way that keeping secrets is tough, and telling them can make for a whole lot of trouble!

Littlebug Whispers: Psst! Psssst! Quiet. Super super quiet. I telling you something super super secret, okay? That means no telling. You won’t tell right? Good. Okay my secret is…Turkeybird is so silly! Hahahaha! Remember, don’t tell!

I would never ever tell my secret to Olive. Do you know why? She doesn’t keep her secret. Nope. She tells everyone! And her friend gets so mad at her. That would make me very sad I think. So, promise you won’t tell my really really super silly secret?! Good! Hehehe.

Mom’s Two Cents: Molly has a very important secret that she decides can only be shared with her very good friend Olive. Sadly, Olive’s lips aren’t sealed quite as tightly as Molly would have hoped. Instead a game of telephone ensues as Olive unleashes the secret on their group of friends leading it directly to the one person Molly hopes won’t discover it. A story of trust and friendship gone a little awry.

As a young girl I can remember this very type of situation happening over and over again. I’m not sure if it’s something boys ever had happen, but it absolutely went on in my small group of girlfriends. One girl tells one best friend her deepest secret, usually something along the lines of a crush or bad habit, and the next thing you know the entire group knows. Before long, if the secret involved a crush, it inevitably ended up in the ears of said crush. Broken hearts and friendships for a few days and then it kicks back up again. Looking back on it I can’t help but laugh a bit and Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman certainly evoked quite a few giggles, not only from me but Littlebug as well.

Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman is one of the few books I’ve seen on the topic of secrets and in a way, lying. The way the story is told makes it humorous and easy for young readers to connect with, but at the same time teaches a powerful lesson that’s sometimes very difficult to learn without making quite a few mistakes along the way. Watching Littlebug’s reaction to Olive’s missteps has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had while reading to her these past few years. Littlebug obviously loves to read and is almost as passionate about books as I am, but it’s a rare experience for her to learn an ethical lesson from a picture book that sticks with her. After reading this together I’ve happened upon her and Turkeybird telling each other secrets (most likely because of the book) and occasionally I’ve played devil’s advocate by asking her what the secret was. Never once has she told me without first asking him if she could, which speaks volumes to how powerful Olive and the Big Secret truly is.

Filled with some of the most beautifully adorable illustrations you’ll find Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman is not only a delightful book to look at, but also a picture book with a powerful message for young readers. This is a story about learning to trust others and becoming a person who can be trusted. Someone who is a true friend. Littlebug has no doubt learned from Olive’s missteps as she watches her spill all of Molly’s secrets and it’s a lesson she will carry with her into the future. One that I have high hopes she’ll continue to remember and potentially end up avoiding even a few of my very own mistakes. Olive and the Big Secret is also a story of friendship and forgiveness, even when those we love occasionally let us down. A beautiful fun story and a powerful message.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 3 to 8. Powerful lessons about friendship, trust and forgiveness in one very adorable picture book!

PS…Because I haven’t said enough already…do check out Tor Freeman’s Blog as well. Her illustrations are some of my absolute favorites and she features a number of them on her blog. It’s fantastic!

Find Olive and the Big Secret by Tor Freeman at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

Thank you so much to the publisher, Candlewick Press, for providing a copy of this book for review! Connect with them on Twitter, Google+ and on Facebook!
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