Oliver by Syd Hoff

Oliver Reviews

• 
  Dianna

  This story is a little dated, with reference to circus elephants and a lady lamenting that she weighs as much as an elephant, but it had high entertainment value and my five-year-old loved it.
• 
  Michelle Nash

  I bought this book based on its cover, as it looked like something I had read in my childhood. Plus it was about an elephant and I love elephants.
  
  Elizabeth loved the story, but then again she isn't too picky.
  
  The story is about Oliver the elephant who wants to be part of the circus. The circus man turns Oliver away because he only wanted 10 elephants, not 11. Oliver then wanders about the city, willing to be anything anyone wanted him to be (Thank heavens he wasn't a teenaged girl or this would have been an entirely differnt story.) He just can't fit in anywhere. Finally, by just being himself with the encouragement of some little friends he gets his wish.
  
• 
  Luann

  I liked this one slightly more than Sammy the Seal, but not as much as
  Danny and the Dinosaur. Although to be fair, I need to reread
  Danny and the Dinosaur and see how I feel about it as an adult. The illustrations are fun and make me want to sit down and draw my own elephant!
• 
  Kest Schwartzman

  I have a lot less tolerance for the exploitation of immigrants than i did as a toddler
• 
  Cheryl

  Never mind the thought of irl zoos and circuses, never mind the absurdities. As a fantasy this is a hoot, and when I was a child I would have read it over and over again. I wish I knew how to describe the appeal; all I can say is that it's likely you'll either love this or think it's not much.
  ---
  reread an LFL find, review stands
• 
  Heidi

  The illustrations were nice and
  attractive and appropriate.
  
  I thought this picture book
  was OK not absolutely great.
  
  I thought some of his other books
  like Danny and the Dinosaur were
  better.
  
  But apparently a lot of kids really
  liked it.
  
  Children in general would enjoy this
  book.
  
  
• 
  Luisa Knight

  I love Syd Hoff's illustrations and you can't really go wrong with his stories either. This one's fun and I got a chuckle or two out of it!
  
  Reading Level: K - 3rd grades
  
  Cleanliness: someone says "my goodness."
• 
  Anthony

  Oliver arrives in the United States, and discovers the circus only ordered ten elephants, he was number eleven, and not needed. Oliver looked everywhere for a place to be needed. It wasn't until he met and played with some children in the park, that his true talent was revealed.
• 
  Anna {Follow me for reviews!}

  When the circus man said he doesn't need Oliver, Oliver goes out to see what he can do for a living. He's not a good dog, or a horse (elephants can't jump), and there is no place in the zoo for him. But he meets some children and his wish comes true.
• 
  Danette

  I love Syd Hoff
  
  7/18/17 Read with Julia.
• 
  Alison Guo

  Oliver was a elephant. He was a great dancer.
• 
  Rebecca

  Cute! I laughed at a couple parts.
• 
  Katie

  An elephant arrives on a boat and hopes to join a circus, but is rejected from that and numerous other places until he starts to dance and everyone is mesmerized by him.
  
• 
  Ashley

  FS: "Some elephants came across the ocean on a ship."
  
  LS:
• 
  eRin

  Oliver and his ten elephant friends have just traveled on a boat to work in the circus. But when they arrive, the circus man says that he only ordered ten elephants and cannot take any more. So Oliver is left to wander on his own, looking for a place to belong. He tries the zoo, but they are full. He attempts to become someone's pet, but that doesn't work out well either. He meets up with some school children and as they play they talk about what they want to be when they grow up. All poor Oliver wants to do is become a dancing elephant in the circus. Will his dream ever come true.
  
  Really cute story that I vaguely remember from my childhood. Rereading it was fun and Oliver is so upbeat and positive. It's a good story with simple words for early readers.
• 
  jacky

  My mother picked this up because she though it was on our buy list for Natalie (but it was Olivia on the list). We left it here and wound up using it as a bed time read. It was cuter than I expected, especially with the illustrations. I knew right away that it was the same author as Danny the Dinosaur. My sister and I particularly liked the illustration of Oliver being walked with a lesh around his trunk. The story wasn't that exciting and the writing was simple. It was clear that this was meant as a primer for children learning to read. Some of the meaning of the text was dirived from looking at the illustrations.
• 
  Kris

  Personally, I would have given this book 3 stars. My daughter, on the other hand could never get enough of this book! She wanted me to read it several times a day, EVERY DAY! This book is not a short book, even though it's an easy reader. This was the first book my daughter completely memorized and proclaimed "I CAN READ" at 3. While I knew she wasn't "reading" it was amazing that out of ALL of her books, this was the one she memorized first!! At 8 years old she still loves this book. She reads chapter books but always says, "Mom, can you read Oliver to me just like you use to." She enjoys most of Hoff's work, but this is by far her favorite-- therefore it deserved an extra star. :)
• 
  Elizabeth S

  A book just as fun as Syd Hoff's more famous
  Danny and the Dinosaur. Oliver the elephant isn't needed at the circus, so he has to find something else to do. Watching an elephant try out various other forms of employment is rather fun. Of course he has a blast playing with the kids (you can see that from the cover), and the kids help him find the perfect place to fit in.
• 
  Claudia Naranjo

  Oliver, a sweet elephant, arrives from overseas and he is ready to work in the circus, but the circus owner says he already has enough elephants. Oliver is now looking for a place where he can stay. He tries going to the zoo, but they already have an elephant. Later he tries to be a pet, but everybody has one already. What Oliver wants the most is to work in the circus, so he starts dancing. The circus owner is passing by and when he sees the elephant dancing he is pleased, and offers Oliver a place in the circus! Gr. Pk-K
• 
  Rosa Cline

  This is about an elephant named Oliver. He comes to join a circus but when they count all the elephants they only needed 10 not 11 so they send Oliver away. He tries to find where he belongs and at the end as he plays with children the circus man sees him and wants him to come back to the circus. That's his dream to join and so his dream comes true.
• 
  Ashley

  Oliver the Elephant must search for a place to live and an occupation after he is turned away from the circus. Very cute illustrations and a good book to use when asking questions about the story from the pictures to engage a young reader!