You can’t help but identify with, and enjoy the company of Ollie. Hopefully this experience will be shared with the children who read his books with you. The clear text and bright illustrations add to the overall happiness this book gives.
Ollie though soon finds he’s struggling to take his backpack everywhere as it moves from being a resource with paper, pencils and crayons, to a burden.
The trouble is he can’t ration his use of the backpack; it quickly becomes a dumping place for all his things and items he finds along the way.
From the ease of tearing around, running up and down the hills he finds his bag is weighing him down and transform to an illustration of carrying around his troubles and worries.
I loved that this remains a story and Ollie never ceases to be a boy. So if he wants something it goes into his backpack. ( I can think of some female relatives whose handbags contain everything and beyond a man’s creative imagination. ).
I know I should not be sexiest so I will bring a male perspective. ( In the Eiger Sanction, Clint Eastwood plays a mountaineer in his preparation he climbs a tower in the USA desert with a friend. Once at the flat top the agree they could do with a cold beer. His friends asks, Who would be stupid to struggle up this climb with the extra weight?” Clint says you, he had put two in his friend’s backpack before the climb.) .
I loved that Ollie sits down by an old tree and watches an animal struggling with more nuts than he can carry. This then is a life lesson for Ollie and we can similarly learn about easing our own burdens and setting aside those things that weigh us down.

A clear message, linked with a gentle, happy boy who became overburden and found the means to turn things around into positive actions.

I enjoyed sharing the book with my younger ones and being reminded of this basic attitude to be more relaxed and carefree.

This was a great book to read with my son. A creative way to show kids that you don't have to carry all your worries and burdens around with you all the time. Ollie has to learn how to problem solve, adapt and let go. All of these messages are crucial lessons for kids, but even more so now given the new world of coronavirus that kids have to adapt to. My only negative was the talking tree, that part of the story somewhat threw us. Other than that, this is a delightful childrens book. Loved the illustrations.

My thanks to the the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ollie is a happy school kid with a vivid imagination, who carries his trusty backpack with him all the time. The backpack is as light and carefree as Ollie is, until a bad day at and after school finds the young boy tossing extras into it (a paper with a bad grade, an extra granola bar his classmate turned down, a wheel broken off his bike, a dried-up sunflower he'd been trying to grow) - each item metaphorically representing a burden - a letdown - Ollie has taken on his own shoulders emotionally. Even a singing trophy he's just won - great news! -- still only weighs down his already overburdened backpack, and when Ollie finally rests under the shade of a huge tree, his backpack so heavy now he needs a breather, it's there the frowning kid gets his sunshine back, when he learns that sometimes you just have to let things go (both physically and emotionally) - even find the right place for the good things, like a shiny new trophy - if you want to keep your load (and step) light. It's a big, kind of heady topic for a picture book for early readers, but author/illustrator Riya Aarini creates a wonderful, upbeat spirit in Ollie and his world via colorful, lively illustrations and talking animals and trees that help steer Ollie in the right direction. While some parents might feel the message a bit over the heads of real young kids, the fact Aarini doesn't talk down to her readers makes the book perfect for parents and their children to interact and discuss the message of knowing when to release life's burdens that lies within these pages. (Available July 12) 3.5/5 stars

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

This is a book that will actually engage adults whilst reading it to their children. I was reading it to my son, and he sat there quietly and listened to the story. The illustrations were great, and tied into the story to perfection. The underlying messages of unloading troubles and not to carry them around with you, I thought was put across numerous times but not in a horrible repetitive way. It would highlight to a child of not everything has to be kept hold of, and can be shared with others..

In summary, a well written and thought out book for children.

This review is based on a free digital ARC copy provided by NetGalley. My views are provided based on the book content only.

The idea for the book is excellent, but I feel it is too American for the UK market. For example we would not refer to a break as recess. The items which were too big could have been more realistic, eg a large dog instead of a moose. He also appeared to have left school and gone back for his music lesson.
I feel that if it was adapted for the UK market it could appeal particularly to boys between 4 and 8, and teach a valuable life lesson.

In this picture book, Ollie carries his backpack with him everywhere. Inside, he puts things that are interesting, tiny, useful, and connected to his world. Things like a school paper, his Granola bar, and his toy plane. As time goes on, his backpack becomes too heavy and he decides to do something about it. Whereby lightening his load and lessening his worries.

Merits: This is a sweet story with lovely illustrations that school aged children will find relatable.

Shortcoming: The transition from the beginning of the book where Ollie talks about things that don't fit in his backpack to the rest of the book, his worries, doesn't quite flow smoothly where everything is connected. Some students may not make the connections without some guidance.

Verdict: I would add this to a school library or Kindergarten-2nd classroom. It would make a good read aloud with some discussion to guide students in understanding the role Ollie's backpack plays in his life and how it is connected to his worries.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for providing me an e-ARC.

I am so sorry to report that the ebook is not opening even after downloading at Aldiko and Kindle. I can get access only to the book cover at Kindle. The number of chapters and page numbers are there but the rest of the book is blank. At Aldiko, it's not even opening. Kindly fix this issue. I would like to read this book and review it.

I read this one with my kids. It's a sweet story about a young boy using coping strategies to manage stress. The message was understood and is appropriate for elementary school aged children. My 8-year-old summed it up with, "Okay, view your mind and body as your backpack. You don't have to carry everything in your backpack. Just let it go!"

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting story. We loved the message it was trying to portray, about leaving your worries behind and starting a new day, unburdened. Though it came across a bit odd, with just through things away, plus he never seemed to walk home, he just appeared there. Maybe if a few pages were added it would help create the journey. Overall a good story though!

I would love to give feedback on this book but my copy does not have and drawings or words.

I cannot give an update on how great this book is or is not since I cannot see anything on the pages.

Ollie’s Backpack, while relatable to every school-age child, is distinctive. Ollie independently finds solutions to his many worries, which demonstrates his growing agency. Ollie’s successful problem-solving skills and choice to let go serve to inspire young readers.

This is a story with cute illustrations and is quite engaging .

**Thankyou Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review**