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Oliver and Patch #1
Oliver & Patch
When Oliver finds a little lost dog he makes his first friend in the big new city. A stunning new book from Claire Freedman and Kate Hindley.
Oliver is finding the big city a lonely and scary place but when he finds a little lost dog he makes his first friend in the city.
The trouble is, he knows that somewhere out there someone is missing the little dog just as much as he is loving having him, So, with a heavy heart, Oliver sets about doing the right thing.
Oliver is finding the big city a lonely and scary place but when he finds a little lost dog he makes his first friend in the city.
The trouble is, he knows that somewhere out there someone is missing the little dog just as much as he is loving having him, So, with a heavy heart, Oliver sets about doing the right thing.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Claire Freedman
215 books55 followersI’ve been a writer for over 15 years now, but it wasn’t planned!
I had a variety of jobs, including secretary, trainee buyer at Harrods, dental nurse, production assistant in a reprographic and printing company and various others.
I began to write after joining a creative writing class. I had no success with article writing, or short stories, or fiction, but the first children’s story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was accepted for publication. Hooray!!!
Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of hard work later I now write full time and have over 50 books published. I still go to the same writing class and we have become a big happy family of writers!
For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love to create worlds for young children to enjoy and escape into – whether the stories are educational, bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun. It’s also very exciting to see the first picture roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators bring the text to life.
I live on the Essex coast in a lovely two-bed-roomed flat, which I share with my husband, Michael. At long last I have an office to write in, with room for all my books and bits of scribbled on papers.
The seafront is (still) just around the corner, and I find a bracing walk (it gets freezing when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is great for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas.
- excerpted from her website
I had a variety of jobs, including secretary, trainee buyer at Harrods, dental nurse, production assistant in a reprographic and printing company and various others.
I began to write after joining a creative writing class. I had no success with article writing, or short stories, or fiction, but the first children’s story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was accepted for publication. Hooray!!!
Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of hard work later I now write full time and have over 50 books published. I still go to the same writing class and we have become a big happy family of writers!
For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love to create worlds for young children to enjoy and escape into – whether the stories are educational, bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun. It’s also very exciting to see the first picture roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators bring the text to life.
I live on the Essex coast in a lovely two-bed-roomed flat, which I share with my husband, Michael. At long last I have an office to write in, with room for all my books and bits of scribbled on papers.
The seafront is (still) just around the corner, and I find a bracing walk (it gets freezing when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is great for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas.
- excerpted from her website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 29, 2017
Lovely!
A lost dog + a lonely boy!
One of the best combinations!
For the boys and girls who feel lonely because they moved to a new city or new school, Oliver & Patch is a perfect read.
Illustrations are making me overwhelmed with happiness. They are super cute and adorable.
This little book reminded me of my childhood days when I found Eva, my dog, who decided to rule my family and continues to.
A lost dog + a lonely boy!
One of the best combinations!
For the boys and girls who feel lonely because they moved to a new city or new school, Oliver & Patch is a perfect read.
Illustrations are making me overwhelmed with happiness. They are super cute and adorable.
This little book reminded me of my childhood days when I found Eva, my dog, who decided to rule my family and continues to.
February 18, 2017
This is a really sweet story coupled with really sweet illustrations, but the underlying message is the greatest thing here.
Who among us animal lovers, child or grown-up, hasn’t met a gorgeous animal out and about and wanted to have them in our lives? Who hasn’t stopped to help a lost dog, and perhaps bonded with it in the time it took for its owners to be found and come to collect their baby? But we say goodbye when their parents collect them because we’d like someone to do the same should our own dog or cat go missing.
It’s not our pet, we know that, but it’s also not like we can add them on facebook to keep up with what’s going on in their world.
These fleeting moments will likely be the only we have with this animal, and then it will go home and get on with its life.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
Who among us animal lovers, child or grown-up, hasn’t met a gorgeous animal out and about and wanted to have them in our lives? Who hasn’t stopped to help a lost dog, and perhaps bonded with it in the time it took for its owners to be found and come to collect their baby? But we say goodbye when their parents collect them because we’d like someone to do the same should our own dog or cat go missing.
It’s not our pet, we know that, but it’s also not like we can add them on facebook to keep up with what’s going on in their world.
These fleeting moments will likely be the only we have with this animal, and then it will go home and get on with its life.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
May 12, 2015
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
Oliver & Patch by Claire Freedman, was unexpected, but a joy to read! A really sweet picture book!
Oliver has moved from the countryside to the city, and is feeling lonely. His new home is very different from what he's used to, and he's left all his friends behind. When out exploring one day, Oliver finds Patch, a dog out on the loose on his own. Oliver and Patch quickly become friends, Patch helping Oliver feel less lonely. But Patch is missing his owner, and Oliver realises it's time to try and reunite them, even if it means being on his own again.
This is a beautiful story about the power of friendship, but also of love for animals. It's lovely seeing what a different Patch's presence makes to Oliver's life, once he's no longer alone. The fun they have together puts a smile on Oliver's face, and their antics will have any child smiling too. But Olive & Patch is also a really sweet moral story, about doing the right thing. Patch isn't Oliver's dog, and knows he has to give him back - and not only because Patch is missing his owner, but because it's simply the right thing to do. This is a great story to teach young children about being selfless and thinking of others, and doing the right thing.
Hindley's brightly coloured illustrations are so cute, ans surprisingly detailed despite their simplistic nature. There's lots to see in the full-page illustrations, and they will have children lingering over the pages.
Any child with a pet of their own, dog or otherwise, will warm to Patch, and know exactly how Oliver feels having him around. A great story to read with your child while they're cuddling their pet!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Books for the review copy.
Oliver & Patch by Claire Freedman, was unexpected, but a joy to read! A really sweet picture book!
Oliver has moved from the countryside to the city, and is feeling lonely. His new home is very different from what he's used to, and he's left all his friends behind. When out exploring one day, Oliver finds Patch, a dog out on the loose on his own. Oliver and Patch quickly become friends, Patch helping Oliver feel less lonely. But Patch is missing his owner, and Oliver realises it's time to try and reunite them, even if it means being on his own again.
This is a beautiful story about the power of friendship, but also of love for animals. It's lovely seeing what a different Patch's presence makes to Oliver's life, once he's no longer alone. The fun they have together puts a smile on Oliver's face, and their antics will have any child smiling too. But Olive & Patch is also a really sweet moral story, about doing the right thing. Patch isn't Oliver's dog, and knows he has to give him back - and not only because Patch is missing his owner, but because it's simply the right thing to do. This is a great story to teach young children about being selfless and thinking of others, and doing the right thing.
Hindley's brightly coloured illustrations are so cute, ans surprisingly detailed despite their simplistic nature. There's lots to see in the full-page illustrations, and they will have children lingering over the pages.
Any child with a pet of their own, dog or otherwise, will warm to Patch, and know exactly how Oliver feels having him around. A great story to read with your child while they're cuddling their pet!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Books for the review copy.
September 27, 2019
This book incorporates themes of loss, friendship and doing the right thing. Its colourful illustrations will appeal greatly to children. Further to this, the metaphors and similes are a good model for children when using literary devices in their own writing. Also, the protagonist in the book introduces himself as having moved somewhere that he does not know, which many children can sympathise with.
May 9, 2018
What a lovely story about a lovely boy who "does the right thing" after finding a lost dog. This boy is lonely and friendless in the new city where he lives.
Perfect for animal lovers and anyone who has ever felt lonely in a new place (especially one with so many people in it), and has ever wished for a friend.
Perfect for animal lovers and anyone who has ever felt lonely in a new place (especially one with so many people in it), and has ever wished for a friend.
October 20, 2020
This book has a lovely moral to the story at the end - looking at loneliness and friendship and how not only just having one friend but more than that is fun too!
February 2, 2025
Resimlerin kalitesi çok düşüktü, pixel pixeldi.
October 10, 2019
I think this book has some great themes of, friendship, loss, and adventure which may be quite relateable to lots of children reading this book. The similies and metaphors towards the end of this book are great and the illustrations throughout make this book very appealing to the KS1 audience.
October 10, 2019
A fantastic story paired with great illustrations to support children’s ideas when reading. Would be a great book to read with children helping them to understand the importance of friendship and doing the right thing.
October 20, 2020
This book was an excellent read, with charming illustrations and a meaningful moral behind it. A heartwarming story about friendship, compassion and knowing when to do the right thing. It would be excellent to use in a KS1 class to discuss these issues.
July 10, 2022
Oliver & Patch is a lovely story about a boy called Oliver who finds a new dog called Patch who he cares for as he can't find his owner until one day there's an unexpected turn of events.
This is a really nice story of friendship. It's great how we got to see the relationship with Patch and Oliver grow but also got to see that Oliver cared for Patch enough to be considerate about his feelings in an unexpected ending. I think the ending really makes the book such a special read but it's very hard to discuss without spoiling it!
The illustrations are sweet and lots of fun to look at. The children loved seeing Patch the dog and seeing what he got up to in his day, they particularly liked the ice cream he got to enjoy!
This is a beautiful story of friendship that we really enjoyed and the children wanted reread straight after finishing. We'd definitely recommend this heartwarming read.
This is a really nice story of friendship. It's great how we got to see the relationship with Patch and Oliver grow but also got to see that Oliver cared for Patch enough to be considerate about his feelings in an unexpected ending. I think the ending really makes the book such a special read but it's very hard to discuss without spoiling it!
The illustrations are sweet and lots of fun to look at. The children loved seeing Patch the dog and seeing what he got up to in his day, they particularly liked the ice cream he got to enjoy!
This is a beautiful story of friendship that we really enjoyed and the children wanted reread straight after finishing. We'd definitely recommend this heartwarming read.
April 6, 2023
Oliver misses when he lived in the country, the city makes him feel lonely but one day he finds someone else who is as lost as he is, an adorable dog named Patch.
The best of friendships is created but Oliver knows that Patch longs for his former life and that someone else could be missing him dearly…
The illustrations are delightful and filled with details that are sure to peek the attention of its readers, especially the expressive characters and their outfits! The composition is excellent and creates a lovely rhythm to the books and the spring-like colour palette is attuned to the a fresh feel of the story too.
A sweet and short tale that shows that friendship and kindness is all around us. Recommended ages 4-8
The best of friendships is created but Oliver knows that Patch longs for his former life and that someone else could be missing him dearly…
The illustrations are delightful and filled with details that are sure to peek the attention of its readers, especially the expressive characters and their outfits! The composition is excellent and creates a lovely rhythm to the books and the spring-like colour palette is attuned to the a fresh feel of the story too.
A sweet and short tale that shows that friendship and kindness is all around us. Recommended ages 4-8
June 25, 2018
Moving away from home can be very sad. No more corn fields and instead there is concrete as far as the eye can see. But sometimes all it takes is a special friend to may the day brighter. But when that special friend belongs to someone else, you have to do the right thing. And just maybe you will get to be with your friend and more. A lovely story with fun illustrations. A bit sad, but also really happy.
March 18, 2021
This is a cute one which my 3.5 year old really enjoyed. Bright, crisp colourful illustrations do a lot for this story about a lonely kid finding a dog and a friend. Does a good job of showing how Oliver has so much fun with the dog, and the dog enjoys his company, but they still have to go looking for the real owner. And there ends up being a happy ending for everyone! Definitely a great story for a preschooler, even though in some ways it's nothing remarkable.
October 11, 2019
This book would be very effective in capturing a child's interest when reading it as the story, illustrations and characters are great and very loveable. The text has a great message throughout incorporating friendship, loss, grief and doing the right thing which is a good thing to share with a class.
January 22, 2025
Such a cute premise about a lost dog and a lonely boy in the big city. I think, most of the times, I am having more fun reading these books than my girls! But it's such a great activity to do together, I love these stolen moments.
September 24, 2018
as ilustrações são bonitas e apelativas. A história, não sendo originalíssima, está muito bem contada.
January 22, 2019
A good book for a teacher to share with young children in a classroom, the teacher could help children understand about the importance of being caring for other people.
May 17, 2023
I enjoyed how this book showed the possibilities inherent in gratitude thinking rather than deficit thinking.
March 22, 2017
Adorable! Little boy misses the country, finds a dog, feels better. The dog is claimed, and he makes a friend. LOVE the illustrations!
April 22, 2016
I spotted this in the library, and I just fell in love with the cover. I loved how it looked, and not only that, but I also was highly curious about the story behind these 2 characters.
Meet Oliver, he just moved to the big city, and he isn't really liking it so far (I can imagine, there was absolutely nothing green, or remotely fun, to do). But then he meets a dog, a dog named Patch. He is delighted, finally a friend, finally something fun to do.
And yes, I loved Oliver and Patch's things, but, I did have a question. Why did the parents (if they are there, they were mysteriously not there) allow Patch to stay? And for a few days even? If this was my kid, I would have said that the dog can stay one night, but then it would be time to do a search, and I would help him out with that. Not let the kid do all the work, and then just leave him with the dog and also let him buy a crapload of expensive toys and fun dog stuff. I felt absolutely sorry for the little kid who lost Patch. I do also hope that Oliver learns a lesson. Just because you find a dog, doesn't mean it is yours to take. No, just no.
But that was really my only big gripe with this book. Everything else, the illustrations, the ending (ahhh, that ending, I just cried), and of course the cover was great, and that is also why I rated the book 4 stars.
All in all, I would still recommend this book to everyone. It was a fun read, with beautiful illustrations that will suck you up in the world of Oliver and Patch.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Meet Oliver, he just moved to the big city, and he isn't really liking it so far (I can imagine, there was absolutely nothing green, or remotely fun, to do). But then he meets a dog, a dog named Patch. He is delighted, finally a friend, finally something fun to do.
And yes, I loved Oliver and Patch's things, but, I did have a question. Why did the parents (if they are there, they were mysteriously not there) allow Patch to stay? And for a few days even? If this was my kid, I would have said that the dog can stay one night, but then it would be time to do a search, and I would help him out with that. Not let the kid do all the work, and then just leave him with the dog and also let him buy a crapload of expensive toys and fun dog stuff. I felt absolutely sorry for the little kid who lost Patch. I do also hope that Oliver learns a lesson. Just because you find a dog, doesn't mean it is yours to take. No, just no.
But that was really my only big gripe with this book. Everything else, the illustrations, the ending (ahhh, that ending, I just cried), and of course the cover was great, and that is also why I rated the book 4 stars.
All in all, I would still recommend this book to everyone. It was a fun read, with beautiful illustrations that will suck you up in the world of Oliver and Patch.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 24, 2016
Oliver moves to the big city. He misses his old home in the countryside, but most of all, he misses his friends. One day, he finds a little lost dog called Patch. They spend two wonderful days together and become friends, but Oliver knows that somewhere out there someone must be looking for Patch. Even though he does not want to lose his new best friend, Oliver decides to do The Right Thing.
This beautifully told story about friendship is suitable for EYFS and KS1, and can be used across the wide spectrum of subjects: English (shared, guided and independent reading), Numeracy (counting), PSHE/P4C (to teach about friendship, thinking about others and doing the right thing even when it makes you unhappy), geography (living in a city and in the countryside), and art (drawing).
This beautifully told story about friendship is suitable for EYFS and KS1, and can be used across the wide spectrum of subjects: English (shared, guided and independent reading), Numeracy (counting), PSHE/P4C (to teach about friendship, thinking about others and doing the right thing even when it makes you unhappy), geography (living in a city and in the countryside), and art (drawing).
February 1, 2016
This book has a cute story - boy meets dog, dog find real owner, boy gets new friend. It's one of those cute picture book universes where adults only exist as backdrop, and children go about their days finding dogs and buying dog food etc. The illustrations were so bright and welcoming, despite the fact that it was raining sometimes. It was such a joyous depiction of city life, I thought - brightness and colour everywhere, bustling, but also calm at night, when Oliver is looking at everyone winding down in their apartments. It was pretty beautiful.
January 3, 2015
Bought this to read to my nephew (also called Oliver!!) - lovely little story of a lost dog and small boy.
Oliver has recently moved house and makes his first friend in a little lost dog called Patch, they have fun together but Oliver knows that someone will be looking for him.
Nice pictures and a gentle tale of friendship. Lovely story to read aloud to young children, colourful illustrations and the obligatory happy ending for both Oliver and Patch.
Oliver has recently moved house and makes his first friend in a little lost dog called Patch, they have fun together but Oliver knows that someone will be looking for him.
Nice pictures and a gentle tale of friendship. Lovely story to read aloud to young children, colourful illustrations and the obligatory happy ending for both Oliver and Patch.
February 26, 2015
i bought this book for my child. it is a really cute story of a little boy in the city who find a lost dog and has a lot of fun with his new friend. it is beautifully illustrated and my child really loves having this story read to him. The actual book is pretty big which makes it good for reading to a few children or for helping to keep little ones attention because there is a lot to look at. We enjoy reading this book
September 9, 2022
Beautiful story where the protagonist will be pleasantly surprised to find a puppy's leash on the street. Both the message and the illustrations are beautiful.
Istorio ederra non protagonistak harridura atsegina izango duen kalean txakurkume baten uhala aurkitzean. Bai mezua eta bai ilustrazioak ederrak dira.
Precioso cuento donde el protagonista se encontrará sorprendido gratamente al encontrarse en la calle la correa de un perrito. Tanto el mensaje como las ilustraciones son preciosas.
Istorio ederra non protagonistak harridura atsegina izango duen kalean txakurkume baten uhala aurkitzean. Bai mezua eta bai ilustrazioak ederrak dira.
Precioso cuento donde el protagonista se encontrará sorprendido gratamente al encontrarse en la calle la correa de un perrito. Tanto el mensaje como las ilustraciones son preciosas.
June 17, 2016
Oliver se ha mudado a la ciudad, pero echa de menos su casa y sus amigos en el campo. Un día encuentra a un perro en la calle, Patch. Cuando por fin encuentran a su dueño, Oliver piensa que ha perdido a su amigo, pero en realidad ha ganado otro.
July 14, 2019
Este bello álbum ilustrado nos habla de que siempre podemos encontrar nuevos amigos y que esos nuevos amigos nos permitirán conocer otros. También nos convoca a ayudar a quien lo necesita, sean personas o animales.
📚
Un canto a la amistad y a la bondad hacia los animales perdidos.
📚
Un canto a la amistad y a la bondad hacia los animales perdidos.
February 16, 2015
Read & reviewed for the Bookbag http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews