Olive gets to the North Pole just in time. Comet (the biggest reindeer) uses a piece of extra ribbon to tie Olive to the reindeers' elaborate harness system. As the sleigh rose high in the sky, "Olive was surprised it was so easy to fly." (The sight of a dog dangling beneath Santa's sleigh will reduce readers to charmed giggles.) Despite Olive's lack of flying ability and the unfortunate mishap caused by the reindeers' distraction, she, in her inherent dogginess, proves to be useful as both a flute retriever and a cookie smeller.

J. otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh have written and illustrated four splendid books for children: Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride, Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe, Monkey Business, and Free Lunch. Publisher's Weekly's assessment of the creators' work in Free Lunch also rings true for Olive, the Other Reindeer: "Seibold and Walsh specialize in street-smart art and convoluted story-lines ... Seibold's illustration style [is] a sort of cubism for the '90s. His computer-generated, airbrush-smooth characters resemble digital icons, but their asymmetrical quality lends them a hand-drawn warmth. The spreads are abuzz with comical details." This very silly, endearing book is sure to delight your favorite kids--and adults, too. (All ages)