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It’s definitely Christmas time. The window displays feature toys, snowmen are roaming the streets, and the lampposts are playing Christmas carols. Presents have been purchased, and Olive the dog is reporting to the North Pole. Although she’s missing some important reindeer qualities, Santa and Comet help her soar over the rooftops and among the stars on Christmas Eve.
Distracted by Santa’s newest helper, the reindeer run into some problems on their Christmas Eve flight. They fly Santa and his sleigh full of toys right into a “too tall tree.” Before they know it, a rainfall of gumdrops and flutes are plummeting to the ground. Thanks to Olive’s fetching skills, sharp teeth and superior hearing capabilities, the presents are saved and safely delivered. Home is far away for Santa and his crew, though. Not wanting to miss the parade of cookies for breakfast, Santa turns to Olive for help. Rudolph’s nose might help them get through the thick fog, but it’s only Olive’s nose that can lead the way to the homemade cookies. Back at the North Pole, the cookies are eaten and the presents are opened. Outside in the snow, reindeer games have started, and with the help of Santa’s gift, Olive blends in a little better with the other reindeer.
This is the deluxe edition of Olive the Other Reindeer. Children can pull Olive down the busy sidewalk, lift the flap on the radio to see what’s singing the Christmas carols, open the windows and doors to find out who’s traveling, scratch and sniff the gumdrops and gingerbread cookies, and see a pop-up view of Santa’s Castle with its reindeer barn, toy shop, and helicopter landing pad.
It’s been ten years since Walsh and Seibold wrote about Olive and her visit to the North Pole. It was there that Olive’s imaginings came true, thanks to an understanding Santa and a helpful reindeer. The computer-generated illustrations in Olive the Other Reindeer were created by J. Otto Seibold. Olive is a little brown and white dog with an oversized snout. Her ears and limbs are asymmetrical with minimal detail and her big black eyes and ambitious attitude stand out on every page. At times, colors are used in unconventional ways in this book. A salmon-colored sky and brick red shrub can be seen behind Olive’s doghouse, and purple clouds appear in the sky on Christmas Eve. The unusual colorings and irregularly drawn characters keep the pages interesting and surprising.
Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold’s second dog was the inspiration for the storybook Olive. They live in San Francisco with their three children. Together they have created several children’s picture books together including
Olive, My Love, Gluey: A Snail Tale, and Free Lunch.
Seibold and Walsh have pulled Olive out of a familiar Christmas song and created a holiday story around her that children and adults can enjoy. This book
makes a great pick for a Christmas-themed storytime.
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Olive the Other Reindeer: Deluxe Edition!