Olivia

Rating:
Summary: Olivia...She's Quite a Pig
Review: As the first page states..."This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things." And she is. Good at wearing people out, scaring her brother, combing her ears, getting dressed, building sand castles, painting...everything but napping. She's a precocious, feisty, imaginative, wonderful little pig. Ian Falconer has captured the essence of a pre-schooler in his first children's book. His short, simple text is complimented by his expressive black and white illustrations, with just a touch of bright red to highlight the right parts. This is a book your youngsters will want to read again and again, as they see a bit of themselves in Olivia. A must for all home libraries, Olivia is sure to become a classic.

Rating:
Summary: The Quintessential Children's Book!
Review: FIVE STARS! Ian Falconer comes up with a children's book that no matter how many times I read through it, it is incredibly pleasing. The storyline about an imaginative young girl named Olivia is simple and captivating. Whether looking at art, building sand castles, or dealing with her copycat brother, Olivia is charming. The humor in Falconer's work is contagious with its harmonious blend of illustration and text. The illustrations are done in a "limited" palette of black white and red with an occasional brown thrown in. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that this book may be handicapped because of its limited palette. It merely serves to increase the reader's delight in Olivia and her world. Olivia is one of the finest reading encounters that I have run across in my life. Olivia is quite simply... perfect.

Crazy James

Rating:
Summary: You Must be Kidding, This book is Horrible
Review: I agree with one of the other reviewers who said that it's for the hip mommies and daddies, I don't agree that this book is wonderful however. This book is written more to impress the adults reading the book than it is written for the child listening. The illustrations do look like they belong in the New Yorker, and the last time I looked that magazine was not for children. There are alot of wonderful , beautifully illustated books out there for children , spend your money on them and let the adults read Olivia.

Rating:
Summary: Love at First Sight
Review: I love Ian Falconer's New Yorker covers, and now I love Olivia too. I only discovered Olivia just this afternoon while I was browsing at the local bookstore. Olivia reminds one of Elopise, but at the same time, it's nice to see her with parents and siblings. I was enchanted by this book, I laughed out loud, and darn it all... if I had only had a few bucks more, I would have bought it. The prose is simple, but sharp and direct, and the artwork is hysterical (especially when Olivia's brother is shown copying everything she does.)

Even more fun is Olivia's appreciation for art and the like. Imagine a little kid wanting a Callas picture book read to them. It's touches like this that make Olivia the clear winner as one of the best picture books to emerge this past year. I am hoping Falconer will write a few more books about this precious piglet. In the meantime, be proud to buy a copy of this book for yourself, even if you don't have any kids. It will definitely be the literary high point of your week.

Rating:
Summary: Smart, creative and funny...Olivia's a hoot!
Review: Ian Falconer's story about a piglet named Olivia who likes to "wear people out" is both lively yet quiet with its beautifully done illustrations. The story is simply told and kids everywhere can identify with her and the things she does during the day. I also love the idea of her being inspired by Degas and Pollock paintings. This book doesn't cut corners with kids when it comes to cultural appreciation. She is imaginative and creative (sometimes TOO creative as her wall painting shows), and kids will enjoy her antics.

I originally bought this book for a young cousin, but decided to buy another copy for myself!

Rating:
Summary: Trying to be objective
Review: It seems that people either love or hate this book, so I thought I'd try to throw out an objective point of view. When my four year old daughter picked Olivia out at the library, I could not figure out why. The illustrations are basically black and white with hightlights of red. I prefer bright, primary colors, especially for young children, so my first thought was that it was boring. I read it to my daughter and found the story to be cute. It draws you into the pictures because the text is incomplete without them.

I noticed that some people with boys didn't seem to like the book. I'm not surprised. Olivia is mischievous, but she is definately a girl, and therefore probably appeals to girls much more than boys. Of course, I have three girls and no boys, so I don't know exactly what appeals to boys.

No, Olivia is definately not a good role model, but do all of our kids' books have to show perfect role models? After all, what child is really like Emily Elizabeth of Clifford, and what parents are really like Caillou's? (PBS shows if you don't know.) Poor role models offer us the opportunity to discuss with our children what behavior is proper and what behavior is not proper when they are not misbehaving and therefore are much more receptive to hearing it. Not that they should be allowed to read anything and everything, but I believe that it's important to show them real life, too.

The important thing to me is not what other people think of the author or the book. Rather, do I approve of the book, and do my children like it. In my case, it is yes and a resounding yes (my daughter asked me to read the book so many times that I was glad it was a library book so I could return it!) Truthfully, if it was up to me I'd give the book only two stars. But since my daughter liked it so much, I had to go with four. But just because we like it doesn't mean you will. I'd recommend (as some others suggested) check it out from your library. Then you'll know if it's worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: When I Need A Quick Laugh I Read Olivia
Review: The cover caught my attention. Olivia was written big and boldly across it. A white piglet wearing a red dress with a black bow tie and zebra stripped stockings. It begged me to read it.

Author and Illustrator Ian Falconer has written a funny book about a little piglet named 'Olivia' who has too much energy. My favorite part of the book are the first four lines: "This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things. She is very good at wearing people out. She even wears herself out." The reader is shown (on two pages) a series of drawings in succession of Olivia jumping, running, standing on her head, yelling, playing ball, etc. and finally (the last drawing) she is flat on her back exhausted.

You can see her driving her mom crazy. She's adorable to read about but if she were my daughter she'd drive me crazy also. In my baby name book 'Olivia' means 'holy'. Not quite Olivia I thought. I got the dictionary and read through all the definitions for 'holy'. There it was at the bottom 'holy terror, a troublesome child'. Bingo! Now that's Olivia but in a funny way.

As I read through the book I could hear myself giggling. Laughter is good for the soul, so go ahead and get a heavy dose of Olivia. I recommend it. It's good for you!