Reading: OLLIE'S GARDEN - Riya Aarini (author), Virvalle Carvallo (illustrator)

Prose (Story): The third book in the Carefree Ollie early reader series finds little Ollie this time as king of his own garden. Serving over its flowers, trees - and the creatures who live among them - Ollie's skills as ruler are put to the test when bickering breaks out between different factions of the ladybugs, the squirrels and chipmunks, and frogs and toads. Can Ollie, dissension growing in his garden kingdom, show the animals and insects a way to co-exist - even become friends - in order to restore peace to his land? 

Don's (Review): While I felt the first Ollie book, Ollie's Backpack, was a bit disjointed in the beginning, in the end I loved how it came together and the lesson it had in store for its reader. Ollie's Haffiness was even better, Ollie learning some genuine responsibility, and I loved how the book depicted both him and his friends, emphasizing diversity. And while Ollie's Garden fits perfectly into the series, Virvalle Carvallo's bold and colorful illustrations as charming as ever, for me this one felt a bit too "on-the-nose" in its message, also definitely honing in more to its intended audience of children, over the slightly broader appeal of the two previous editions. But then, who else is the book for?  3.5/5 stars 

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.