★“Scenes are evocative and provide endless opportunities for discussion with young children. This book is ideal for all libraries as a non-threatening and productive story that can give hope to children who feel like Olivia.”—SLJ, starred review

The world is a really big place for little kids.

When Olivia starts to feel overwhelmed by her big feelings, she sprouts vines. They are thorny and twisty and make it impossible for Olivia to do the things she loves to do, like ride her bike or play with her friends. Plus, no one wants to come near a giant ball of thorns. Luckily, Olivia has a very special teacher. Someone who sees past the prickly and the pokey to the upset little girl and helps Olivia learn to manage the vines.

This quirky picture book is the perfect introduction to the idea of anxiety and those big feelings that seem impossible to manage. Olivia’s teacher provides some tricks to help manage the feelings, and a special message at the end of the story encourages young readers to think productively about their own anxieties.

Originally from Toronto, Sandra Dumais uses a combination of inks, watercolors and markers to create rich and colorful images. Inspired by everyday whimsy and her family, Sandra is known for creating maps that tell a story (although, she warns you shouldn’t use them to get around) and is currently working on book projects for which she is both author and illustrator. She lives in Montreal.