Oliver and the Night Giants
A Kitty O’Meara Picture Book Celebration
Photo shows all three of of Kitty O’Meara’s picture books. In the center is Oliver and the Night Giants showing three Night Giants with a tiny Oliver on a giant’s shoulder looking up at a big, full moon surrounded by a starry night sky. Up at the top corner is And the People Stayed Home showing a wall of a living complex with people and animals looking out of their windows and balconies at one another. At the bottom corner is The Rare, Tiny Flower that shows six adults of different colors discussing a multicolored flower with a girl in a polka dot dress hiding and watching.
Have you heard of author Kitty O'Meara? Her picture books promote community, working together, kindness, and sharing your gift with the world, themes I love spying in children's books. I first read one of her books in 2020, And the People Stayed Home, which came about from a poem she had written about life when COVID had struck. It was a hopeful read about joining together as a community and the positives that came from the experience. Next came The Rare, Tiny Flower, about a girl who uses her voice to stop the fighting over a rare flower's color, encouraging others to view different perspectives and to value each person, proving that when love leads, good things follow. Her latest book, Oliver and the Night Giants, tells of a boy bullied for his art, eventually seeing the value in his creativity and imagination in making the world a better place with the help of the Night Giants.
What would you do to make the world a better place? Oliver is invited to use his imagination to do just that in Oliver and the Night Giants. I will admit the beautiful cover with its shimmering foil details is what drew me initially to check it out, but it was the words that had me return for rereadings. Oliver's heart smiles with joy and pride as he paints a beautiful scene at school. That is until he hears the whispers and laughter that come after the other children look at his work. Sad at home, Oliver is just about to fall asleep when three Night Giants arrive.
The Night Giants plead for Oliver's help, claiming he is just the special child they need to mend and tend the world tonight because of his beautiful dreams and heart of an artist, being able to identify what is missing. Oliver's hesitant but eventually agrees to help the Night Giants with their essential work.
Oliver notices more light is needed and paints the moon, but when the paint falls, and Oliver dispairs, the Night Giants encourage Oliver to notice what magical creation sprang up from his mistake.
Continuing along, Oliver and the Night Giants move mountains, create snowflakes, fluff clouds, and more together with Oliver's special help and ideas. Eventually, the magical night ends, but Oliver holds tight to the knowledge that his artistic gift helped make the world more beautiful.
I love how this sweet book helps kids remember that they have a gift that can make the world a more beautiful place and that their ideas matter. It is a sweet, creativity-boosting story perfect for sharing at bedtime!
Tra Publishing has worked to help Kitty release all three of her beautiful picture books. You can find all three books, Oliver and the Night Giants, And the People Stayed Home, and The Rare,Tiny Flower on their website.
