Oh, Olive! by Lian Cho (review)

Reviewed by: Oh, Olive! by Lian Cho Danica Ronquillo Cho, Lian Oh, Olive!; written and illus. by Lian Cho. Tegen/HarperCollins, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063237490 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Olive Chen believes she is "the most magnificent and brilliant artist in the whole wide world" as she splatters, smears, and splashes color with her paint brushes. No matter how much her serious artistic parents try to teach her how to paint perfect triangles or squares, Olive refuses to keep her art confined to shapes, and her teacher is also exasperated by Olive's artistic freestyle. Meanwhile, her classmates can't help but admire her art, and when they want to learn how to paint like her, Olive shows them how to embrace creativity and bring joyful chaos to the everyday. Cho creates a loveable and energetic protagonist who cultivates and defines her unique art style rather than following her parents' expectations and societal norms. The graphite monotone backgrounds depict the bland parents' art museum and the town's symmetric, rigid shapes while emphasizing Olive's individuality, as she is fully dressed in primary colors of red, blue, and yellow. Swirling, smooth textures of gouache, acrylic paints, and colored pencils add a cheerful atmosphere to the double-space spreads with Olive and her classmates quite literally painting the town, allowing readers to notice the positive impact of simply being yourself and doing what you love. With a delightful, surprising ending, this will make an easy pick for little artists to celebrate the joys and triumphs of creating art with no boundaries. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois