Ollie the Civil Engineer

by Lisa Schleuter

Overview

Follow Ollie the Civil Engineer's exciting day as he shows the reader a variety of projects that civil engineers can work on. From bridges and roads to buildings and concrete, readers will see construction sites as well as parts of the engineering process. The colorful and playful images of Ollie on the job will inspire young readers to explore the world of engineering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798992218602
Publisher:	Inventive Minds Media, LLC
Publication date:	01/31/2025
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	Up to 5 Years

Editorial Reviews

2025-03-21
Schleuter’s debut picture book follows a civil engineer through a typical day’s work.

Ollie is an indigo-skinned, elven-eared young man. When he gets ready for work, he covers his wild, violet hair with a yellow hardhat. He dons a yellow safety vest and sets out to the building site where a tower block is being erected. Ollie checks the supplies, then moves on to a second site where a bridge is being constructed. Here he consults with other team members—all with skin hues evoking different colors of the rainbow—then embarks upon the planning of a road between the two sites. Ollie returns to his office to make calculations on his computer. Schleuter lays down a brief, fact-driven narrative across nine two-page spreads, favoring end-rhymes without any great sense of metric rhythm: “Asphalt over layers of rock and sand. / The design is ready, the work / can be planned.” Given the essentially nonfictional nature of the story, budding engineers may have preferred plain prose. Nonetheless, Ollie’s job is portrayed in vibrant, energetic scenes that instill a sense of wonder and emphasize the importance of the work being done. 2 Create Labs’ digital illustrations are appropriately functional, capturing much of the constructive clutter of genuine worksites while indulging in some nice artistic touches in the background buildings and Ollie’s work desk.

A simple and effective introduction to a profession not often touched upon in picture books.

Kirkus Reviews