Review - Imagine That

Imagine That (Hoot & Olive)
by Jonathan D. Voss
Date: 2019
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Beloved characters Hoot and Olive return in this beautiful picture book about imagination, rainy day adventures, and the spirit of friendship.

Olive is a little girl with a big, bright imagination. Hoot is her stuffed-animal owl…and her best friend. The two love adventures of all sorts. But on the rainiest of days, there is only one thing to do: stay inside and imagine a whole new world.

Just as they’re about to begin their adventure, Hoot makes a shocking discovery—his imagination is broken! Like the best of best friends, Olive comes up with some ideas to help him. But nothing is working: not the head unscrambler, the earmuffs, or the hypnosis. Just as the two are about to give up, Olive remembers the secret ingredient to imagination, and they give it one more try.

Fans of Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin, George and Martha, and Frog and Toad are certain to fall in love with the next adventure in the Hoot & Olive series.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is the second book about Hoot and Olive, and I actually like it even better than the first! While Brave Enough for Two was about bravery and friendship, Imagine That is about imagination and perseverance.

On a rainy day, Olive and Hoot decide to imagine themselves an adventure. The only problem is, Hoot can't seem to do it. His imagination appears to be missing. Olive tries various ways to help him (including, hilariously, equipping him with a colander hat as an imagination antenna). But nothing works, and Hoot gets discouraged... until Olive reminds him that imagination requires a very important component...

The illustrations here are adorable. Olive's attempts to help Hoot with his imagination issues have him looking like a deranged alien moth. Voss also somehow manages to make a simply drawn stuffed animal have amazing facial expressions.

I really like this series! There are only two books so far, but I hope there will be more to come. Hoot and Olive are too cute.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Review - Brave Enough for Two

Brave Enough for Two (Hoot & Olive)
by Jonathan D. Voss
Date: 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

In the spirit of Goodnight Moon and The Night Gardener comes a heartwarming picture book about friendship that is sure to become a classic from debut author-illustrator Jonathan D. Voss.

Olive is a little girl who likes the types of adventures that exist in books. Her best friend Hoot, a stuffed-animal owl, prefers the ones that take place in the real world. Today, Hoot gets to pick the adventures. At first, Olive isn't sure if she's brave enough for the activities Hoot has picked: flying a makeshift hot-air balloon and navigating raging rivers. But when her dearest friend gets hurt, Olive discovers that she's not only brave, she's brave enough for two.

Told with whimsical text and filled with bold, captivating illustrations, Brave Enough for Two is the story of a little girl, her stuffed-animal owl, and their loving friendship.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't know that I'd compare this one to Goodnight Moon. It actually reminds me more of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Olive (a human girl) and Hoot (a stuffed toy owl) are best friends. While Olive prefers her adventures to be those she reads in books, Hoot's preferences are a little more... real. One day, he takes her out on a great adventure. They get into a balloon-lifted basket that flies them high over the countryside. After they land, Hoot pushes the basket into a river and they ride the rapids. These dangerous activities are faced with some trepidation on Olive's part, but when Hoot gets scared after a mishap, it's up to Olive to reassure her friend that she's there for him.

The story is simple, but the illustrations are really lovely. There's a combination of full-colour pictures (like what you see on the cover), along with more simple sepia-toned drawings. Together, along with the poetic writing, they create a gentle story that has the feeling of some of the old classic children's books.

This is a sweet book about friendship and kindness that shows the reader that, even though we might have our differences, there are some feelings that we all share.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5