The Gossie & Friends book series are favorites in my home. My daughter and I discovered the series a few months ago during our toddler summer reading program. Because she loves ducks, I thought that my daughter might also like books featuring geese. Since picking up Gossie for the first time, I have checked out the entire series from the library to read.
Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea is the Christmas-themed book of the Gossie & Friends series. As a Christmas fanatic, I knew that I would enjoy Merry Christmas, Ollie! My daughter also really enjoyed the book, which I hope will help her come to love Christmas as much as I do.
Like the other Gossie & Friends books, Merry Christmas, Ollie! features a simple story perfect for your readers and pre-readers. Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, Peedie, and Ollie are all waiting — waiting for Christmas and for Father Christmas Goose. After a while, Ollie becomes impatient. However, his waiting pays off in the end when he hears Christmas bells that announce the approach of Father Christmas Goose.
In addition to the simple but fun Christmas story, Merry Christmas, Ollie! also features the same whimsical illustrations as the rest of the Gossie & Friends books. I especially love the illustration of the goslings playing in the snow. I also love the final illustration in which Ollie announces that Christmas has arrived as Father Christmas Goose flies off in the snow. In general, I absolutely adore the Gossie & Friends illustrations.
Final Verdict: If you are looking for a cute Christmas book to read with your toddler, preschooler, or early reader, I cannot recommend Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea enough. The whimsical illustrations are darling, and the story is simple but cute for pre-readers and young readers. My daughter and I give this book four enthusiastic thumbs up!
Image Credits
Cover of Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea © 2013 Heather Johnson
Inside Page of Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea 1 © 2013 Heather Johnson
Inside Page of Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea 2© 2013 Heather Johnson
