Oliver, a neurodivergent child introduced in Hunts novel Fish in a Tree (2015), makes his picture-book debut. . . . While his classmates work quietly, he fidgets and involuntarily makes noises. His brain blazes. He imagines his pencil as a rocket, and his mind fills with questions: Could a pencil rocket reach Saturns rings? Shay, the class bully, calls him weird and lazy, unlike the rest of usbut the things Oliver says to himself hurt even more. At recess, Oliver makes a wish: Pleaseplease make me more like the rest of them. Fortunately, not everyone is like Shay. Jadas impressed by Olivers knowledge of ants, and Albert reminds him that famous inventors, scientists, and artists persisted despite being mocked. . . . Cheered, Oliver dubs Jada and Albert his colony: In an ant colony, everyone matters. . . . Readers, especially those with learning differences, will appreciate the message that, like a tree with colorful autumn leaves, the world is most beautiful when people are all different. Energetic cartoon illustrations cleverly convey Olivers vivid imagination as well as his emotions. . . . Affirming and uplifting. Kirkus Reviews
Based on characters from Hunts best-selling middle-grade novel Fish in a Tree, this picture book brings neurodiversity to a younger audience. While his peers sit still in their desks, completing their assignments dutifully, Oliver fidgets and his brain blazes as he imagines his yellow No. 2 pencil as a rocket and questions zoom around his thoughts. Digitally enhanced photo-collage illustrations that feature childlike doodles and school-themed media, such as finger paint, a variety of writing papers, and real school supplies, relate Olivers unspecified disorder and the isolation he feels after classmate Shay taunts him. Like the original novel, this story uses a metaphor to help readers understand and appreciate Olivers unique way of thinking. In this case, its his love of ants and how they all have a colony in which they belong. . . . Once again, Hunt encourages compassion and self-acceptance in all readers. Booklist
