Ollie Outside (Screen-Free Fun) - a bookwrap

Some smiles for you today...

Unwrapping...

"Ollie Outside"
Screen-Free Fun

Authored by Michael Oberschneider
Illustrated by Guy Wolek
Ages 4-8


Unwrapping some fabulous illustrations...

About the book...

Technology is a wonderful creation but sometimes we have to stop, look around us at how much time is spent on it and how it affects our relationships to others, then make a decision to put it on hold for a while and re-engage in real-life scenarios.

This wonderful book gives us the cause and effect of that premise.  A little boy, Ollie, wants so badly to be involved with his family members but alas they are all preoccupied with technology: emails, watching a movie, video games, texting and downloading photos.  He asks every family member to come outside and spend some fun time together in the backyard but to they all decline as they are caught up in their Cyberworld.

He manages to drag a huge box into the backyard and to design a magical castle that he paints, gives curb appeal to, and sets up an inviting birdbath for his feathered friends to enjoy.  He realizes that despite all his handiwork of putting together such an architectural masterpiece and giving out personal invitations to each family member (even his grandparents)... nobody will come outside and join him for some quality family time together. Being plugged in to them trumps physically being a family in reality.

Disappointed and downhearted he persuades his dog to come and play but still he feels alone and abandoned and that something is missing.  What can he do to get the attention of his family and entice them to join him?   Is he destined to play by himself with no one to share his lovely castle with?  Can he awaken his family to the errors of their ways?  

This book is a reminder that face-to-face interaction is very important and having some screen-free time is critical for a healthy family to interact and enjoy each other's company.  Ollie is to be congratulated for showing his family that summertime is best when shared outside together under the warm summer sun. 

The back of the book has information about the pros of being active and enjoying the great outdoors, the amount of time a young person should devote to screen time, and how important it is to control technology in our world today.  I highly recommend  it.

About the author...

Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Ashburn Psychological and Psychiatric Services, a private mental-health practice located in Northern Virginia. He has been featured as a mental-health expert on CNN, Good Morning America, and other popular media outlets, and he has written articles for several news agencies, including The Washington Post. Dr. Oberschneider has also received Washingtonian Magazine’s “Top Therapist” honor for his work with children and adolescents. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia, with his wife Liz and two children, Ava and Otto.

About the illustrator...

Guy Wolek is an artist with over 35 years freelance experience. Guy has done a variety of  work over the years, from court room sketch artist and character development to corporate annual reports. Often called on to art direct and illustrate, Guy is comfortable with creating many of his projects from scratch. He is adaptable to just about any situation and tenacious enough to figure out new challenges.

Guy is a professional with a good work ethic and has had years of client loyalty to prove it. Guy works well with others and enjoys doing art.

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