I like this series of books as it introduces me to important historical figures. Olive Morris is an activist who fought for civil rights in the UK. I did not know her name. The book is appropriate for the young set and, like all books in the series, there is a brief biographical sketch and a listing of books if you wish to dig in and learn more. So, these series of books whets the appetite for more learning.

Harkening back to ValueTales series of the 80's, Little People Big Dreams is a fantastic picture book series that showcases biographies of exceptional people. Much like the ValueTales series, the books provide an age-appropriate biography of a person's life which highlights their achievements (except without the annoying anthropomorphized sidekicks of the VT series). And also like ValueTales, the book includes a "more mature" biography at the end of the book (though, in the case of Olive Morris, the biography at the end was simply a repetition of the picturebook story contained within).

The inclusion of Olive Morris as an honoree was a surprising choice simply because I had never heard of her. And while the story provided the pivotal moments of Morris's life (moving to England, experiencing racism, defending a Nigerian diplomat from police brutality, creating safe spaces and social justice groups), there is something lacking that was necessary to immortalize an ordinary person who did extraordinary things. Perhaps it was the lack of dialogue? Perhaps it was a lack of detail of injustices, to spare young readers from traumatization? I'm not sure, but while the memory of Olive Morris will stay with me, the book may not.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the e-copy of the book in exchange for this review. Olive Morris will be published in June, 2023.

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know who Olive Morris was until reading this, so I'm glad that books like this exist with such accessible language and bold, beautiful illustrations so my child and others in younger generations can learn about her and others who stand up against racism and injustice.

Another great addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. I hate to say but I had never heard of Olive Morris but was excited to learn about her life. Her parents first moved to England when she was 9, leaving her in Jamaica with her grandmother, although she eventually joined them. She realized then that not all races were treated equally and when as a teenage she witnessed an innocent Black man being arrested for a crime he didn't commit she stepped in. She ended up being arrested as well, this drove her to take on an activist role within the Black community and brought about positive changes.

A fantastic introduction to Olive Morris' inspirational life helping Black women in the community. The illustrations in the book are so bright, bold and colourful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oliver Jones is a great addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series.
The books open your eyes to both past and present inspirational figures which readers may not have come across before.
Oliver Jones was an inspiring black woman who fought against injustice. The illustrations which accompany the accessible text are bright and fit perfectly.

Olive Morris moved to England from Jamaica at a young age and soon came to realize that not all races were treated equally. As a teenager, she saw an innocent Black man being arrested and beaten for a crime that he didn't commit. Olive stepped in to help and was arrested and beaten too. This sparked her desire to make positive changes for the Black community and her acts of activism have made a tremendous impact over the years. This latest installment in the inspirational series Little People, Big Dreams encourages our fiuture leaders to let their voices be heard.

My 3 and 5 year old boys love the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. They enjoyed Olive Morris just as much as any other we've read. This book follows the life of Olive as a child through her adulthood in which she fought against racism and injustice.

The illustrations were cute and colorful. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.