3.5 Stars

Ah, I’m quite conflicted about this book. The message is fab and shows that there’s nothing wrong with stuttering. It’s just a part of the person/ child.

Oliver is one such seven-year-old with a pretty regular lifestyle- school, home, games, imagination, etc. But he stutters and thus doesn’t speak, avoiding it as much as possible.

When his teacher announces an ‘all about me’ project, Oliver confessions his fears to his mom. She helps him understand and guides him in creating the presentation. The book ends with Oliver overcoming his fears and speaking in front of his classmates.

We never know how they react. That’s very important when you teach a kid to go on and talk about things that make them feel bad or different. Maybe another page or two showing that his friends responded kindly would have helped.

Now, coming to the illustrations… They sure are good, but seemed a little too much. No issues with detailing. However, Oliver and his multiple faces (that too in pretty big size) take away the focus from the topic. At a couple of places, I felt as if the expression and the emotion didn’t exactly match.

That said, the book deals with an important topic, so rounding it off to three stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.

#WhenOliverSpeaks #NetGalley