What do you think?
Rate this book
Molly, Olive, and Dexter
Molly, Olive, and Dexter Play Hide-and-Seek
Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner introduces readers to a trio of animal friends in a warmly humorous story offering reassurance that true friends don’t stray far.
Meet Molly the hare, Olive the owl, and Dexter the fox, three friends who live near the oak tree at the edge of the meadow. Hide-and-seek is Molly’s favorite game, but things aren’t going her way. For starters, Olive and Dexter don't seem to know the rules. And when Molly shows her friends how to play properly, they hide a little too well. Set in a delicately rendered pastoral world of soft color and shimmering line, here is a picture book that tackles outsize toddler emotions with sensitivity and whimsy. Make way for the singular Molly, Olive, and Dexter—ready or not, here they come!
Meet Molly the hare, Olive the owl, and Dexter the fox, three friends who live near the oak tree at the edge of the meadow. Hide-and-seek is Molly’s favorite game, but things aren’t going her way. For starters, Olive and Dexter don't seem to know the rules. And when Molly shows her friends how to play properly, they hide a little too well. Set in a delicately rendered pastoral world of soft color and shimmering line, here is a picture book that tackles outsize toddler emotions with sensitivity and whimsy. Make way for the singular Molly, Olive, and Dexter—ready or not, here they come!
32 pages, Hardcover
Published July 4, 2023
About the author
Catherine Rayner
46 books71 followersSee also Catherine Rayner for works on the Bronte sisters
Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. She fell in love with the city and still lives there with her husband, young son and a handful of creatures: Shannon the horse, Ena the grey cat and a goldfish called Richard.
She finds huge inspiration in her pets and often uses them as models, frequently asking Ena to pose so that she can study her posture and movement. Then she translates sketches of Ena into characters such as dragons and hares, not to mention moose and bears! But it was creatures of a wilder kind that inspired her first picture book, Augustus and His Smile - Catherine spent hours and hours watching and sketching tigers (in freezing temperatures) at Edinburgh Zoo.
Winner of the 2009 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for her second book Harris Finds His Feet, Catherine has now been shortlisted four times for the award. She was also awarded the Best New Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years Awards in 2006 and was named one of Booktrust’s ten Best New Illustrators in 2008. In 2010, she was the inaugural illustrator in residence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 2012 Catherine’s book Iris and Isaac won the UKLA Children’s Book Award and the Dutch edition of Solomon Crocodile has been selected as PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014 in The Netherlands by the CPNB.
Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. She fell in love with the city and still lives there with her husband, young son and a handful of creatures: Shannon the horse, Ena the grey cat and a goldfish called Richard.
She finds huge inspiration in her pets and often uses them as models, frequently asking Ena to pose so that she can study her posture and movement. Then she translates sketches of Ena into characters such as dragons and hares, not to mention moose and bears! But it was creatures of a wilder kind that inspired her first picture book, Augustus and His Smile - Catherine spent hours and hours watching and sketching tigers (in freezing temperatures) at Edinburgh Zoo.
Winner of the 2009 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for her second book Harris Finds His Feet, Catherine has now been shortlisted four times for the award. She was also awarded the Best New Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years Awards in 2006 and was named one of Booktrust’s ten Best New Illustrators in 2008. In 2010, she was the inaugural illustrator in residence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 2012 Catherine’s book Iris and Isaac won the UKLA Children’s Book Award and the Dutch edition of Solomon Crocodile has been selected as PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014 in The Netherlands by the CPNB.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 1, 2023
Beautiful pictures!
August 29, 2023
Cute story about playing hide and seek, and being scared when you can’t find your friends. Read this to a 4-year-old while babysitting, and he enjoyed the story. I personally loved the artwork. We read the dutch edition.
June 10, 2023
With three new characters to meet I am quite certain that this first book in a promising new series is going to be a big hit with our readers. A celebration of friendship and play sitting alongside the reassuring message that there are always loved ones close by. With Catherine Rayner’s exquisite watercolour illustrations accompanying the gentle story of Molly, Olive and Dexter, characters who were inspire by her babywear range we have in our hands a stunning, gentle, comforting book to share with all the little ones in our lives and that we will very certainly want to be sharing and gifting.
Milly the hare, Olive the owl, Dexter the fox are the best of friends and here to introduce and welcome us to their home at the bottom of the garden in the oak tree where they love to play. In this story they are having a game of hide-and-seek which is a good excuse for readers to learn a little bit of counting whilst they read. Unfortunately, it seems that whilst Molly can count Olive and Dexter don’t seem to know they have to hide when they are playing a game of hide-and-seek! Olive is hiding under her wings and Dexter has covered his eyes, they think they don’t need to see Molly to play the game. They try again after Molly explains how to play but have they hidden too well? A truly beautiful story, funny and gentle whilst oozing love.
Milly the hare, Olive the owl, Dexter the fox are the best of friends and here to introduce and welcome us to their home at the bottom of the garden in the oak tree where they love to play. In this story they are having a game of hide-and-seek which is a good excuse for readers to learn a little bit of counting whilst they read. Unfortunately, it seems that whilst Molly can count Olive and Dexter don’t seem to know they have to hide when they are playing a game of hide-and-seek! Olive is hiding under her wings and Dexter has covered his eyes, they think they don’t need to see Molly to play the game. They try again after Molly explains how to play but have they hidden too well? A truly beautiful story, funny and gentle whilst oozing love.
September 16, 2023
Three best friends decide to play hide-and-seek. Molly, a hare, starts the countdown, and tells Olive, an owl, and Dexter, a fox, to hide. But when she opens her eyes, her friends are right there next to the oak tree where they live, with their eyes closed. Like very young children, Olive and Dexter think that if they can’t see Molly, Molly cannot see them. After a few more tries, they get it right, but then, Molly feels all alone when she can’t immediately find her friends. Where are they hiding? Readers will notice Olive and Dexter in the oak tree above Molly’s head before they appear before her, assuring her that that they will never go far from their friend.
Kids will completely GET Molly’s worry, and will giggle about her friends learning exactly HOW to play the game. Catherine Rayner’s gorgeous mixed media artwork uses watercolor-like translucent colors to animate the print-like silhouettes of leaves and plants. Her animals have the limpid eyes and oversize feet of the young, and are realistic with lots of personality. This is a warm, kind story of friendship that kids, and their adults, will enjoy reading again and again. The cover features attractive glossy touches which make the book all the more appealing to pick up.
Kids will completely GET Molly’s worry, and will giggle about her friends learning exactly HOW to play the game. Catherine Rayner’s gorgeous mixed media artwork uses watercolor-like translucent colors to animate the print-like silhouettes of leaves and plants. Her animals have the limpid eyes and oversize feet of the young, and are realistic with lots of personality. This is a warm, kind story of friendship that kids, and their adults, will enjoy reading again and again. The cover features attractive glossy touches which make the book all the more appealing to pick up.
September 7, 2023
Molly loves to play hide-and-seek and talks her friends Olive and Dexter into playing it with her. But after Molly counts, she learns the two aren't very good at hiding. They're very easy to spot and this upsets Molly. She instructs them to hide where she can't see them. The two take her advice and while Molly counts, they find the best hiding spot where even Molly struggles to seek them.
MOLLY, OLIVE, AND DEXTER PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK is a story about friendship and how they are always there for you even when you think they aren't. It's about fun activities to do together and how true friendship lasts forever. The illustrations are simple water color style with unique shading. I love how the animals are each from a different species yet they enjoy one another's company.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children aged four and up who love animals and stories about friendship. It also encourages children to play hide-and-seek with their friends.
MOLLY, OLIVE, AND DEXTER PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK is a story about friendship and how they are always there for you even when you think they aren't. It's about fun activities to do together and how true friendship lasts forever. The illustrations are simple water color style with unique shading. I love how the animals are each from a different species yet they enjoy one another's company.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children aged four and up who love animals and stories about friendship. It also encourages children to play hide-and-seek with their friends.
June 15, 2023
Molly, Olive & Dexter - we adore Catherine's work and this new title is the perfect treat. This book is written with toddlers in mind yet my 6 year old loves it too. Molly loves hide and seek - books that explore everyday, familiar aspects of children's lives are so good. First the friends don't hide well enough and when they do hide 'properly' Molly's not sure she'll ever find them! Darling story with Catherine's signature, magical, whimsical style illustrations. Publisher kindly sent for review.
August 4, 2023
Molly the hare, Olive the owl, and Dexter the fox, three friends who live near the oak tree at the edge of the meadow meet to play. Hide-and-seek is Molly’s favorite game, but things aren’t going her way. For starters, Olive and Dexter don't seem to know the rules. And when Molly shows her friends how to play properly, they hide a little too well. A warm, simple friendship story set in a lovely pastoral setting rendered in lovely mixed media illustrations.
August 1, 2024
Cute little story about three animal friends playing hide-and-seek. This would be a fun read-aloud for a child and a caregiver. I know I would have enjoyed it reading to my nephews, nieces and grandchildren when they were younger.
Want to read
September 15, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 17, 2022
Adorable book with such cute illustrations! This was just a great book with a good storyline and adorable characters! Would recommend!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!
June 12, 2023
Such a really cute book for children and beautiful illustration
June 22, 2023
What a lovely little book!
Loved the cute drawings and the story.
It's an ideal read for children who are just starting to learn the language.
Loved the cute drawings and the story.
It's an ideal read for children who are just starting to learn the language.
August 3, 2023
Absolutely gorgeous illustrations!
Read
August 5, 2023Turn/Level: 1/3
Friends, Counting Down, Hide & Seek
Three woodland friends practice hide and seek with this cute predictable story.
Friends, Counting Down, Hide & Seek
Three woodland friends practice hide and seek with this cute predictable story.
September 13, 2023
Sweetly told story of what happens when friends don't follow the rules of a game. Love the illustrations, which are as softly whimsical.
Read
November 7, 2023cute hide-n-seek friendship
tale of forest animals
tale of forest animals
December 11, 2023
The illustrations are so delightful and charming! I loved this story.
October 18, 2024
Foooooooox
June 30, 2023
First of all, I want to say that this book is absolutely wonderful! It does have a genuine “Hundred Acre Wood” feel to it with three animal friends venturing out to play a game. Molly loves hide-and-seek and she soon encourages Olive and Dexter to play along. The problem is…they aren’t very good at it. Molly gives them a few tips and before you know it, Olive and Dexter have successfully hidden. But where have they gone? Molly looks everywhere, but it seems her friends have left her all alone. Until….surprise! Filled with friendship and frolic, this is a fantastic and happy book. The first in a new series by this amazing author/illustrator and winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. Lovely, fun, gentle story with the most beautiful, painterly illustrations. I just love it! (perfect for ages 3-7)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews