Sarah Threlkeld's Reviews > Where Oliver Fits

Too round! Too blue! Too short! Too pointy! Poor Oliver! No matter how hard he tries, he just doesn't fit together with the other puzzle pieces. He uses a marker to change his color and barricades himself with LEGO bricks to downplay his roundness, but the other pieces continue to taunt him. Then he has a stroke of genius - if he just changes himself completely, he's sure to fit in! His plan works, but not quite the way Oliver expects. Is his only choice changing himself to please others or can he find his place in the world by simply being true to who he is? The message is a little heavy-handed, but the story and illustrations are so engaging that readers won't mind. Everyone, whether child or adult, will relate to Oliver's dilemma and hopefully reflect on the ways they tamp down their own personality in order to please others.