Lian Cho, Oh, Olive!, HarperCollins Publishers, September 2023, 40 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780063237490
Love, love, love Oh, Olive! written and illustrated by Lian Cho. Unlike most picture books published in Australia, it has a jacket cover. This jacket is totally engaging with colourful Olive and her paintbrush, contrasting to the black and white of her parents. Readers are enticed to peek under the jacket to see the hard cover. Surprise. It bursts with irrepressible colour and joy. Who is the little artist spreading the colour? It is Olive Chen, of course and she “is the most magnificent and brilliant artist in the whole wide world.” Her black and white parents ‘paint brilliant squares or magnificent triangles’, in black and white again. However, Olive just is not interested. Neither are the children in her classroom. The children in her class draw squares and triangles, but they want to paint just like Olive. With a passion for life, Olive leads her classmates into the world of colour.
The clever use of black and white illustrations for the adults’ world is juxtaposed with Olive’s colourful painting. Innovative interplay between black and white and colour gives an added dimension to the picture book. The end papers are clever too. It opens on a black and white spread and ends in a spread filled with colour where Olive’s parents wear colour too. Love the note that there are ‘New Paintings’ by Olive on the end page, who is of course directing the scene.
This is a wonderful story full of humour, art and laughter.
Suitable for ages 4 -8 and adults like me.
Highly Recommended.
Reviewed by Susanne Gervay
