The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman - Hardcover

Pattison, Darcy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152023291 ISBN 13: 9780152023294

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2003

Synopsis

Have you seen Oliver K. Woodman? You'd know if you had--he's made of wood. And he's on a spectacular cross-country journey. Folks of all sorts guide Oliver along the way and report back in letters and postcards to his friend Uncle Ray. After all, there's a lot of road--and adventure!--between South Carolina and California.
Oliver's been spotted truckin' in Texas, riding in a Utah parade, and scaring off bears in the California redwoods. Where will he show up next? Read the letters. Follow the map. And buckle up for a road trip you'll never forget!

About this title

About the Author

DARCY PATTISON, the author of picture books and novels for young readers, teaches writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and reviews children's books for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

JOE CEPEDA is the award-winning illustrator of many popular books for children. He lives in Whittier, California.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 3-A map of the United States appears on the front endpapers of this book, and the title page shows an African-American girl sitting at a desk, writing a letter as she smiles widely. Tameka has invited her Uncle Ray, who lives in South Carolina, to visit her in California. Unable to get away, he builds a life-sized wooden man and sends it in his place. A note in Oliver's pouch asks people to help him get to his destination and to send Ray a note if they do. Their letters and postcards form the basis of this story as Oliver travels in a truck with a Brahman bull, a station wagon, and a moving van. The boldly colored, textured illustrations were made with oils over an acrylic under-painting on boards, and the unframed panoramic spreads portray the countryside and the assorted colorful characters who assist Oliver at various legs of his cross-country trek. Uncluttered paintings move viewers' eyes across the pages. Small, interesting details abound, and children will be pleased with the satisfying conclusion. A map at the back shows Oliver's route. A fresh, unusual tale.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

K-Gr. 3. Tameka invites Uncle Ray, who lives in South Carolina, to visit her in California. Uncle Ray writes back that he can't come, but he is sending a friend, Oliver K. Woodman, a life-size, hinged wooden man that Uncle Ray has carved. Ray puts Oliver by the road with a note asking travelers who pick him up to send postcards to Ray along the way. People are happy to oblige; postcards come from Arkansas, New Mexico, and Utah, revealing a diverse array of travelers and responses to Oliver. Oliver finally arrives, and the journey comes full circle when Tameka's family and Oliver travel (this time by air) to visit Ray. The quirky story, though whimsical and imaginative, is filled with ambiguities: Oliver is sometimes treated as an inanimate object (he's tossed in a cactus field) and sometimes as a person (he sits with families for meals), which makes for some oddly disconcerting moments, and the target audience seems unclear. It's Cepeda's paintings that save the day. Vibrant, textured, rainbow-hued, with a mostly cheerful multicultured cast, they are the highlight of the book. For large collections. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152023291
• ISBN 13: 9780152023294
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Cepeda Joe
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56