Olive and Ginger by Xenia Mesot

fiction

" Olive and Ginger” by Xenia Mesot is a lovely read-aloud for most children. The watercolor artwork is amazing. The stories are fresh and original. The book is neither a traditional picture book, nor a chapter book. Every page has realistic water color drawings; also a lot of text, including many long common words in the three short chapters. Children will enjoy the story, but won’t be able to read it alone. I felt that some of the paragraphs seemed choppy, when the the book wants them to flow along smoothly. There’s a tiny bit of STEM in one of the chapters and a small bit of advanced word association. Those are fun and will keep the children thinking. Young Cat lovers will adore Ginger, while young toad lovers will want more Olive.
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher, for the DRC.

Olive and Ginger remind me of the Frog and Toad books I read to my kids when they were little. Olive is a toad and Ginger is a cat, although in the book, they are often referred to as Toad and Cat. The book contains 3 stories with wonderful watercolour illustrations. It begins with their meeting, "singing together" and finally a discussion about Ginger's owner bathing her with smelly shampoo. Each story gives different perspectives on the same situation, reminding us to look at things from someone else's point of view. My grandson is a cat lover, so he did enjoy seeing Ginger in different situations, but otherwise, was not that impressed. He did not want to listen to it at another time, nor did he want to try to read it himself. For me, the illustrations were the best part of the book.

This was a cute book. It feels more in the realms of an Aesop's Fables as opposed to a light hearted children's book. However, I loved the interactions between Toad and Cat. It's very simple and easy to read. It's charming to see inside the animals' heads. I think a child would be absolutely mesmerized trying to think like a toad or cat. Fun read!

A very cute, heartfelt children's book I hope to buy for my future neice. The duo of a cat and a toad was perfect. but the sentences can be a little long for younger ones. However, the challenge will be helpful in the long run for younger children first learning to read. A great addition to a children's shelf.

I really loved this book and the illustrations were really cute! I loved the story and I really think kids of all ages will too.

This book is such a sweet picture book with very beautiful illustrations.

I definitely recommend picking this picture up for your young readers. It's a great story that will keep your readers engaged. The illustrations really stand out to, which is always nice (coming from the adult side of things, of course).

It's a book all about becoming friends, which is something we need in today's society. It makes the world seem light and fun, and tells the story very well.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This is a lovely story about a toad and cat, and how they learn to consider things from different perspectives as well as learning to think before they speak. It reminded me of older stories with fables! The water colour artwork is simply gorgeous, and I liked how the book was set up in three acts, too. Overall very sweet and worth a read!

Olive and Ginger is a gentle reminder of how animals (and people) are different.
I’ve read this a couple times to our 5 year old granddaughter Sarah since I received the book yesterday.
She absorbs a different aspect of it each time. The art is done nicely, but it isn’t really interesting to either of us, unless Cat or Toad is in it.

This book about a friendship between a cat and a toad is a great book for kids and parents alike. Showing that friendship comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. That even if your different you can still be friends.

3.5/5

A funny story of friendship between a toad and a cat. Along the way, they learn to appreciate the differences between them regarding habitats and the uniqueness each of them holds.

This was a cute set of stories between a cat and a toad, though their names are never really spelled out throughout the story, just Toad and Cat, so the title doesn't quite make sense. There are several smaller stories throughout the book between these two and I think it would lovely to read on paper!

I really liked the cover art and illustrations in this book, but I found the story to not meet my expectations. I think if you were reading to a child and were putting on voices etc the story would be a more enjoyable experience, but for me the writing felt a little older than it should be for the age group. It didn't feel very modern is what I mean. But as I liked the illustrations and because I think this would be good for children I think it's an OK read. Just sadly not a favourite for me.

A story about an unlikely friendship between a cat and a toad. Heart-warming and funny, it shows us how different we all are, and how we can accept each other, if only we are tolerant and understanding of our differences.

Cat and toad sing together, and they make a pretty good duo. I loved how at the end the author added the part about cats and baths. It was really funny but also educational.

This is a delightful and surprisingly funny children’s book about a heart-warming friendship between Cat and Toad. The writing is poetic and I love the illustrations. It’s an endearing book and I would highly recommend it for all ages to read together. I picked up this book because it looked cute and fun, but I truly enjoyed it on a deeper level. I already want to read it all over again!

I was provided a free copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated and written children's books I have ever read. It will entertain anyone of any age, especially animal lovers, and I am planning on gifting a copy to all of the children in my life this Christmas, as well as purchasing a copy for my own collection. I hope these two will appear again and become a long-running series. Highly recommended!

Princess Fuzzypants here: I may be accused, as a Maine Coon, of bias for books with cat characters but I am also a very discerning kitty. So when I say be prepared to fall in love with this book, I mean it. It is the tale of two very unlikely friends, Ginger the cat and Olive the toad. When they first meet Olive is alarmed by Ginger but as they start to chat they form a bond. It is not so much a bond built on similarities but the similar reactions to the different influences in their lives.

They learn that they can share and care in spite of how they perceive the world around them. Humans could learn much from these two very different species. The dialogues they have are delightful but they are secondary to the adorable pictures that highlight the story. It is a book that could be shared and enjoyed by the young and the young at heart.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I think this book could be accurately renamed "Cat and Toad Muse About the World." This book really reminded me an advanced version of Frog and Toad. The humor was a little subtle/advanced for my 5yo, but I think he got it when I explained it to him. Overall I thought the stories were clever and we enjoyed the lovely illustrations, but I was a little surprised that Olive and Ginger never actually do a whole lot. Mostly, they just talk about smells, singing, and water from their very different perspectives. Which was cute, but I felt like it was just missing a little something. My 5yo said he enjoyed it, and I'd still recommend for anyone looking for a cute, clever story for ages 5-7.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC!

I read this book by myself as well as with my children. The illustrations are beautiful and they kept my youngest engaged with the colours and the detail. I loved the story and the teachable moments throughout the book. I can definitely see this becoming a children’s series with Olive and Ginger teaching our children more about the world and the situations we may find ourselves in.
Thank you to the Publisher, Netgalley and the author for a gorgeous book that I will read over and over with my children.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ACR in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this story is so cute and I love the illustrations. The illustrations are watercolored! You can tell so much time went into this. The frog and the cat become friends so heartwarming. This is a book that you can read to your kids or students it is great because the pictures really pull you in. If you have an older kid they can try reading on their own since it does have a lot of words!

This is a set of three stories that are similar to Frog and Toad. The first story is about a hungry frog who happens upon a curious cat, the second is about the two singing together (I had a good laugh at the last line of that story about people believing the area is haunted because of the noises), and the third is about water/bathtime and how the two animals differ in how they see water and understand the cat's owner giving the cat a bath. The stories illicit humor from wordplay and misunderstandings between the animals. The illustrations are traditional paintings. I love the cultural patterns adorning the cat's fur. This is a fun, sweet book about an unlikely friendship and it is written and illustrated by a single family.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.