Olive and the Big Secret    by Tor Freeman Order:  USA  Can Templar, 2012 (2012) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch It comes as no surprise to discover that some individuals find it very hard to keep a secret. In this humorous picture book for children four years of age and older, Olive learns the hard way that keeping secrets is tough. And, more to the point, Olive also finds out what happens when you just can't keep your lips zipped! The fun begins when Molly whispers a secret in Olive's ear. 'You mustn't tell anyone,' Molly says. 'I will never tell,' Olive answers. Now Olive knows she shouldn't share her friend's secret, but it is just too hard to keep her mouth shut. So eventually she tells her friend Joe. Now you know what happens next. Joe tells Matt and he then tells Lola and Bea. Naturally, Lola spills the beans and tells Molly. Uh, oh! Wasn't Molly the one who shared her secret in the first place? Yup! Rather irate about the whole debacle, Molly confronts Olive, who has some explaining to do. Hmmm, that's a ticklish situation, to say the least! When the mess is finally resolved, the reader might be wondering what Molly's big secret was. As Olive says, 'I'd like to tell you, but ... IT'S A SECRET!' Of course, we now know Olive cannot keep a secret, so if you slip to the book's final page you'll discover what it was. But, since I CAN keep a secret, I'm not telling! There's a message here about secrets, so after you've enjoyed reading this book aloud you might want to launch a short discussion with your child about secrets and why they should not be shared. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews