Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Two unlikely best friends, Cat Oliver and mouse Philbert, head out for a picnic in the park-but mishaps ensue. First, their cart gets a flat tire. Crisis averted: they replace it with a bagel and are on their way. Once at the park, Oliver makes lunch, and Philbert sets sail in a paper boat on the park's pond. But clouds announce the arrival of a storm: "Suddenly the pond is a rough sea. Philbert's boat is much too small for the big waves." Transforming the pair's picnic umbrella into a bigger boat, Oliver daringly rescues Philbert. Song renders the scenes in pale colors; ink-and-watercolor art features loose, chalky outlines; and Oliver and Philbert communicate via dialogue balloons. This quiet outing, about rolling with the punches, closes with a cozy resolution in the form of an indoor picnic, where it's just "'You and me.' 'And cookies.'?" Ages 4-8. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-In this follow-up to Tea with Oliver, Oliver the cat and Philbert the mouse have become best friends and want to go on a picnic. They prepare the necessary supplies and after a few setbacks, arrive at a park by a small pond. Oliver unpacks while Philbert runs off to sail his little boat. Engrossed in their activities, two friends fail to notice the growing storm. When the skies open up, Oliver rescues the nearly drowned Philbert but the picnic seems beyond salvaging.until Oliver has an idea. Buoyed by their friendship, the pair return home where they continue their picnic indoors. Speech balloons convey the conversations. Song's softly colored ink-and-watercolor illustrations create a sedate mood for this gentle story. VERDICT An appealing addition for fans of the previous installment or picnic lovers everywhere, suitable for storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Best friends Oliver (a cat) and Philbert (a mouse), who live together in an apartment, carefully pack for a picnic at the park; upon arrival, they face a sandwich-drenching rainstorm. Fortunately, the friends improvise a winning fallback plan that has "everything they need": each other. This appealingly simple ode to friendship features airy ink and watercolor art festooned with dialogue bubbles. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Best friends Philbert (a wee mouse) and Oliver (a moon-faced orange-and-white cat) plan an elaborate picnic, but everyone knows the best-laid plans of mice and kittens often go awry. The two gleefully load up a rolling cart with everything they might need (teacups, a tiered sandwich platter, pillows, cookies, a stuffed bear, a book, a blanket, a paper sailboat, an umbrella) and set up camp by a ponda "perfect spot." The sweetness of Philbert and Oliver's interspecies friendship, their shared giddiness, and that inevitable, impending thunderclap all swirl inside readers, making their hearts swell and their chests tighten as they wait for the first raindrop to fall. Pale watercolor-and-ink illustrations describe a soft world, one with assured circular shapes everywhere (the trees' greenery, Oliver's head, spots, and ears, an umbrella, a bagel, cookies, and the speech bubbles). These recurring curves and Song's pleasantly mellow mint-, orange-, and strawberry-sherbet palette create pillowy, soft illustrations. Readers therefore gasp when they arrive at a jarring double-page spread showing driving rain, Philbert's angular face pitching over the helm of his pointy, paper boat, and the pond's monstrous, jagged waves. Thankfully, a rescue is just one best friend and a makeshift umbrella-boat away.Fans of Tea with Oliver (2017) will delight in watching this cat-and-mouse friendship grow, and newcomers will happily enter their amiable world of reciprocity. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
