Precious and Oliver

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Precious and Oliver are two mice who love “to snuggle,” but Oliver
likes desserts so much he gets stuck in his chair and loses his lap.
Together, the two mice decide to choose healthy snacks, get more
exercise, and allow themselves special treats.

Farmer’s story is useful for discussing good nutrition habits and
supportive family relationships with primary-grade students. For older
students creating picture books, Precious and Oliver would make an
interesting idea book, showing how to plan miniature theatre sets to
illustrate their own writing.

The unique aspect of this attractive picture book is its 3-D
illustrations. Stein created the soft-sculpture mice; added knitted
sweaters, furry slippers, and fabric clothes; then set them in boxes
with various backgrounds to show different scenes in the story. Later
the sets were photographed, resulting in delightful and unusual pictures
sure to enchant young readers.

Precious and Oliver is a charming picture book certain to be enjoyed by
preschool and primary-grade youngsters.