Cherry and Olive »

BENJAMIN LACOMBE has worked as an advertising artist, a freelance artist, and is also the illustrator of a comic series. He has written and illustrated several other picture books in France. He lives in Paris. Visit his Web site at www.benjaminlacombe.com

Cherry Sullivan prefers reading books to playing with the other children in her class. They make fun of her for being plump, and they are not nearly as entertaining as the adventures she reads about. Though she's shy and keeps to herself, Cherry secretly longs for a friend.

When she discovers a stray dog at her father's animal shelter that is also plump and shy (and a bit wrinkly), she names her Olive and they become fast friends. Cherry finds the courage within herself to stand up for the dog and protect her—something she has not been able to do for herself.

Beautifully illustrated, this touching story is sure to strike a chord with all who have ever felt a little lonely and yearned for a friend.

Children's Literature

A lonely girl named Cherry loses herself in books. While helping her father at the animal shelter, she makes friends with a little wrinkled dog she names Olive She is warned not to become too attached to the dog. After all, its owner could still come and take her home. Hoping this will not happen, Cherry tries to take Olive out for a walk whenever someone arrives at the shelter. Unfortunately for Cherry, one day Olive s owners do come. But fortunately the child with them is Angelo, a boy Cherry has long admired in school. He invites her to visit Olive, for a happy ending. Cherry is an exotic-looking, dark-haired youngster, shyly sunken into her heavily-cabled white turtleneck sweater. Mainly full-page, slightly stylized scenes tell the visual tale with psychological sensitivity to Cherry s discomfort with the teasing girls at school, her growing, satisfying relationship with Olive, and her admiration of Angelo. Contextual details in vignettes add atmosphere to the satisfying story of shyness overcome. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz