Molly, Olive, and Dexter: The Guessing Game
by Catherine Rayner; illus. by the author
Preschool    Candlewick    32 pp.
7/24    9781536234145    $17.99

Three animal friends—“Molly the hare, Olive the owl, and Dexter the fox”—play a game that Olive calls “Guess What?” Dexter goes first: “Guess what I’m thinking about,” he says, gazing at the sky. Molly guesses correctly on the first try; it’s the sky, of course. “‘How did you know?’ asks Dexter, puzzled.” Molly’s up next, and Olive guesses that she’s thinking about grass. How did Olive know? “Easy…your mouth is full of it.” For her turn, Olive is “thinking about TWO things at the same time.” Dexter and Molly are stumped. Is Olive thinking about two brown leaves? Two clouds? Two flowers? “It’s too hard.” Olive encourages her friends to keep guessing; the two things she’s thinking of are “very nearby” and “even lovelier than flowers.” Rayner’s soft mixed-media illustrations on cream-colored pages match the text’s gentle tone and give young listeners the advantage by making obvious what—or who—is on Olive’s mind. With its peaceful meadow setting and the friends’ warm rapport, this good-natured picture book offers a pleasing storytime diversion.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.