Olivia Wrapped in Vines

Starred review from December 1, 2021

K-Gr 3-Olivia is a young girl who seems to be very typical with her red sneakers, bike, and squishy stuffed lion. What you cannot see, though, are the thorny vines that encircle her when she least expects it. The vines aren't actually there, of course, but Olivia feels the pain they cause every day. Her triggers for anxiety can be big things, such as jumping off the diving board in swim class, or seemingly small things, such as talking to strangers. Big or small, the vines tighten until she feels unable to move, and nobody knows about them but her. Still, there are times when the vines start acting up and her kind teacher, Solange, senses that Olivia is having difficulty. Solange gives her ideas for keeping those vines under control. Realistically, Olivia's journey to managing the vines is not without bumps. The illustrations are a great match for the story and allow readers to see and feel the vines as Olivia must. These scenes are evocative and provide endless opportunities for discussion with young children. VERDICT This book is ideal for all libraries as a non-threatening and productive story that can give hope to children who feel like Olivia.-Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2021
Anxiety hinders a child. Olivia, a peach-skinned kid with a brown bob cut, narrates in a direct first-person voice. She lists the things she possesses--a bicycle, red shoes adorned with stars, a soft plush lion, and "vines." The thorny vines, wrapping around her body, are a metaphor for anxiety. They are brought on by being late, going to the dentist, talking with strangers, anticipatory fear of adults' anger, and sometimes "NOTHING AT ALL!" Despite Olivia's helpful teacher, the vines are exhausting and prevent Olivia from moving freely, doing math, and jumping off the diving board at the pool. Although the characters' facial expressions are crystal clear, the text never decodes the vines as representing anxiety. The prose, including Olivia's introduction about her bike, shoes, and stuffed animal, may prompt young readers to think that physical vines are causing Olivia's stress. Forced textual playfulness in the teacher's nicknames for the students ("my little monkey in flip-flops" and "my little chocolate frog") is jarring and inorganic. The illustrations bring nothing special and, bizarrely, include the stuffed lion in a group of people Olivia imagines mocking her. Moreover, vine-wrapped Olivia's self-chosen label as "a big, spiky ball that no one wants to be near" will sting readers who have anxiety. Reach for Anthony Browne's What If...? (2014) and Patrick McDonnell's A Perfectly Messed-Up Story (2014) instead. Well-intentioned but indirect and clunky. (activities) (Picture book. 4-7)

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January 1, 2022
Grades K-3 Olivia introduces herself along with her two-wheel bicycle, her red shoes with stars, her soft stuffed animal (a lion), and what she calls her vines, thorny anxieties that sometimes envelop her, making her uncomfortable while constraining her thoughts and her actions. At those times, she feels like "a big spiky ball that no one wants to be near." Triggers for that feeling include spiders, fights with friends, visits to the dentist, and sitting at the top of the slide with people waiting behind her, but sometimes the vines appear for no apparent reason. Her sympathetic teacher helps Olivia with strategies such as breathing exercises and imagining herself chopping the vines down. Olivia's first-person narrative is straightforward, and her metaphor for anxiety, along with her strategies for coping with it, may be somewhat helpful to the many children dealing with "that worried feeling," as it is described in the back matter. The expressive illustrations, created with ink, watercolors, and markers, have their own childlike charm. A picture book that offers validation and hope to children dealing with anxiety.

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