Olive and the Embarrassing Gift

Praise

Freeman tackles a highly relatable quandary—who among us has not known the horror of unwanted knitwear?—while using sly humor and knowing dialogue to keep the story emotionally true yet free of pedagogy.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Lots of white space, vibrant colors, and spot-on facial expressions enhance the story. Good for starting class discussion on teasing and friendship, this is a must-have where the earlier books are popular.
—School Library Journal

Freeman depicts his diverse animal cast against white backgrounds, allowing their facial expressions to speak volumes.
—Kirkus Reviews

The mixed-media art, set against white backgrounds, highlights the comedy of Olive’s embarrassment and gives human touches to each animal. Olive, at book’s end, doubles down, adding a sandwich board proclaiming her friendship with Joe to her knit hat. Take that, haters!
—Booklist Online