Where Oliver Fits

by Cale Atkinson

Board book, 2019

Status

Available

Collection

Publication

Tundra Books (2019), 38 pages

Description

Oliver has always dreamed about where he will fit. Will he be in the mane of a unicorn? The tentacle of a pirate squid? The helmet of an astronaut? When he finally goes in search of his perfect place, he finds that trying to fit in is a lot harder than he thought. But as with any puzzle, a little trial and error leads to a solution, and Oliver figures out exactly where he belongs.

User reviews

LibraryThing member simchaboston
Even if this book wasn't sorely needed in this era of intolerance and outright bigotry, I would still love it. The theme of being true to oneself is not a new one, but Atkinson's approach to it feels original (at least to me), and it's heartbreaking to see Oliver the puzzle piece twisting and
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forcing himself into different colors/shapes/etc. just to fit others' expectations. The art is strikingly beautiful as well; even though the text is probably a little above the preschoolers my wife works with, I'm still going to donate it to school because they'll still get something out of it -- and diversity needs all the encouragement we can get right now.
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Oliver was a crossword puzzle piece searching for his proper place in the bigger picture, but although he approached many different locations and puzzle-piece groups, he never seemed to fit in. He tried to alter various things about himself, from his color to his shape, but it never seemed to work.
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Even when he finally did find a place, it was only by dint of transforming so much that he longer felt like himself. Was there a way to be true to himself but also belong...?

A lovely and innovative exploration of ideas about belonging, conformity vs. individuality, and staying true to yourself while also trying to find your proper social milieu, Where Oliver Fits is also an entertaining tale with a most unlikely hero: a crossword puzzle piece! I sometimes feel that picture-book creators overshoot the mark, in their search for new and different kinds of creatures/objects to transform into heroes/heroines, and I did wonder, picking this one up, whether Cale Atkinson had fallen into that trap. As it turns out however, using a puzzle piece as a character in a story exploring ideas such as belonging and accepting yourself for who you truly are, was an inspired choice. The storytelling choices here just work, conceptually speaking, while the colorful artwork captures the sense of both fun and pathos to be found in the text. I particularly liked the conclusion, which emphasizes that everyone truly is part of a larger whole, a philosophical point that is sometimes missing from more sentimental explorations of finding a place to belong. Recommended to Cale Atkinson fans, and to anyone searching for new children's stories about belonging and/or being yourself.
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LibraryThing member ktbailin
I am an elementary school counselor and this book has a wonderful message! Oliver is a puzzle piece who can't seem to find a group of friends to fit in with. He tries to unsuccessfully change himself to fit in, but realizes in the end that it is best to be himself. The story is well told and the
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pictures are charming. I am excited to use this book in classroom lessons for 2nd and 3rd grade!
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LibraryThing member eo206
Oliver is a puzzle piece trying to find where he fits in. He attempts to fit in my changing himself and realizes that doesn't work. Throughout the book Oliver changes his physical appearance realizing he is unhappy with this and goes back to being himself and eventually finding where he fits in
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best.

This is a nice book to share with preschool and young elementary school students about growing their social-emotional health. An adult going over the book with kids can talk about accepting others as they are as well as how they can work to be accepted as well. It is also a good book to open a discussion about disabilities.
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LibraryThing member LiteraryChanteuse
This is a fantastic book that grabbed my attention right at the cover illustration and title. A little puzzle piece trying to find where he belongs and finally realizing that to fit in he truly has to be himself, is a great story and with such wonderful full page illustrations, it is a joy to read.
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An absolute gem and worth every star!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member MariAngelGL
Where Oliver fits is a book that let children know the they don't have to be someone else to be part of group. It lets them identify that they can be great beginning themselves, because they will be more secure of themselves to be who they are who they want to be. It help me as a sample to show my
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son that he needs to be him self, that he don't need to change his way of thinking or appearance to fit in a group. Be your self is the most important thing than trying to be someone you aren't.
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LibraryThing member seasonsoflove
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

This is a really cute book with great illustrations and a great message. Oliver the puzzle piece is worried he will never fit in with the other puzzle
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pieces. He wants to belong, so he changes his appearance to join the others. But along the way, he learns being true to himself is the best way to find where you truly belong.

I will definitely be reading this book to my Pre-K students. They will love the character of Oliver and the colorful fun pictures, while hearing a great message.
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LibraryThing member HippieLunatic
Much like [Red], this book teaches children to be true to themselves, at least as much as possible.

Story was well written, age appropriate. Pictures were adorable.
LibraryThing member MrsDruffel
I received a copy for review purposes via LibraryThing. All opinions are my own.

Oliver is a puzzle piece who just wants to fit in. His color, shape, and look aren't right. Oliver is very lonely. He does not belong anywhere. Oliver decides he needs to change to fit in. He cuts, glues, and paints. A
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complete make-over. Even though Oliver is unrecognizable, he finally fits in. He belongs. Will Oliver be happy?

Reading WHERE OLIVER FITS aloud, my fifth-grade class made many connections about the moral/lesson of the story. Kids can relate to the need to belong. To fit in. Personal stories where shared. Oliver was read again and again by individual students. Oliver lets kids realize they are not alone. A must-have book for any home, class, or school library.
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LibraryThing member TeamComfy
Oliver is a puzzle piece who just wants to fit in with the other puzzle pieces. He tries to change himself but realizes that something doesn't feel right.
An adventure of a puzzle piece trying to find out where he belongs and to be himself.
Both my three and eight year old loved this book. The
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lesson was great and illustrations are wonderful!

I received this from Library Things Early Reviewers.
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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Oliver is a tiny blue, orange, and purple puzzle piece that doesn't seem to be a part of any puzzle he comes across. Frustrated with always hearing the word no, he cuts and glues to rearrange himself into a piece that will fit, but then he regrets having to hide his true identity. Will Oliver ever
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fit in anywhere?

Although it's perhaps almost too on the nose, I enjoyed this book for presenting a fun story about fitting in that kids can easily extrapolated to their own lives. It's important for kids (and honestly, some adults) to be reminded that finding your place might take a while, but it's ultimately worthwhile for both yourself and the others in your group. And it's very important to be true to yourself rather than hiding or changing your identity to blend in with others.

The illustrations are essential to the book and show Oliver's many attempts to fit in and his emotions throughout this process.
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LibraryThing member acrowder
Fantastic children's story about finding your place in the world and becoming comfortable in your skin.
LibraryThing member Carlathelibrarian
This amazing little book has a powerful message. Using puzzle pieces to create a picture show that everyone does not always fit in every spot. Oliver can not find where he fits, so he tries to change in order to fit in with others. That works, except he realizes that he is no longer himself. He
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shakes off his disguise and is once again alone. When he meets up with others that do not fit, they realize that they fit together and complete the picture. It has a great theme about not changing yourself to fit in with colorful illustrations that are eye catching enough to keep kids glued to the book without realizing they’re learning a valuable lesson in the process. This is a great book to read to young ones as well as older students who seem to be having trouble fitting in. It is also a great resource when children are trying to figure out what their strengths are and that it is okay to have different interests. It’s the perfect book to add to your home library and for teachers to use in their classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member thmazing
This book is exactly what its cover promises. And it's fine. A lot of picture books with this theme have been published the last decade and they vary in how fun they are to read, how well they get their message apart, etc. This one, as the kids say, is mid.

Awards

Nevada Young Readers' Award (Nominee — 2019)
Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2019)
Chocolate Lily Reader's Choice Awards (Nominee — Picture Book — 2019)

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

8.13 inches

ISBN

0735265119 / 9780735265110

Barcode

351
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