In
this Oliver and Jumpy collection readers are treated to three separate stories:
- Saving Fairyland
- Cat King
- The Bee Gnomes
As
with previous Oliver and Jumpy books, the author gives readers a brief intro into
the lives of his two major characters. Readers learn that Oliver and Jumpy are a
tomcat and a kangaroo who are best friends. Oliver is a very famous cat who
lives in a tree house in a mighty oak tree. The friends get into all sorts of
exciting adventures together. The stories are told from Oliver’s point of view.
The
stories in this book are somewhat involved and lengthy. Since this book is
recommended for children ages 5 – 7, parents should be aware that they’ll probably
need to explain several of the words within these stories. Words like “immobilize”,
“ruse”, “implement” and “demise” just aren’t in a young child’s vocabulary.
However, as I said in a previous review of another of Mr. Stejskal’s books,
this certainly opens the door to discussions between parents and children. It’s
also a good opportunity for vocabulary building. Additionally, young children
should have no problem staying involved with the action-packed plots and
accompanying illustrations.
I
also feel this book makes an excellent graphic novel for older children. The
illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and vibrantly colorful. Graphic novels
are extremely popular among elementary age (and even older) children and the
author could easily market this book toward this age level as well.
I’d
recommend the Oliver and Jumpy series to readers. They’re full of adventure,
action and attention-getting illustrations!
5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton
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