Olivia

        Olivia by Ian Falconer

Illustrator: Ian Falconer

Publication: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: October 1, 2000

ISBN #: 9780689829536

Pages: 40

Themes: Family, Growing Up, Animals

Format: Print, Picture Book, Fiction

Age: 3-7

Whatever the day brings, Olivia the Pig has plenty of energy to take on anything. From trying on everything in her entire wardrobe, picking up her cat and moving it, building sandcastles, picking up her cat and moving it again, drawing on the walls hoping to become the next Jackson Pollock and a big dreamer, Olivia is sure to become every little girl’s best friend.

Most of the Olivia stories take place within her home and focus on family life which includes her parents, her brother Ian and Edwin the cat. Olivia is first introduced to us as a precious and very energetic little girl. Clearly creative, imaginative and artistic, Olivia loves going to Museums and admiring the greats like Edgar Degas’s ballerina portrait and Jackson Pollock’s modern works. From getting dressed to trying her artistic hand on the walls at home, what Olivia is really good at…is tiring herself out.

The illustrations in this book are nothing close to fancy, and it’s not necessarily a piece of work to really analyze but it’s inviting, simple and fun.  What makes this story fun through the illustrations are the pops of color in each page. The two pages solely dedicated to all the outfits Olivia tries on is great to sit and let your child look at all the funny and interesting outfits Olivia goes through, like putting her ears in a bow and her swimsuits. The tone of the story is light, full of energy and ambition. It is a story about a curious, ambitious little pig, how could a little girl not love this book?

The main themes in Olivia are family life and growing up. As you can tell from the beginning of the story, Olivia is a very loud and energetic pig (portraying the life of a little girl). This story is admirable because even though it’s a pig, it mirrors the life of a little girl and tells the story that girls can be adventurous, creative, and imaginative and aspire to be great things like opera singers and artists. It tells the story of a girl growing up and trying to make sense of the world around her, it an excellent source to help foster young girls confidence. Olivia would be a great example of a book to use in a story time promoting self confidence and ambition.

Although, Olivia came much later, the character certainly had the impact that Madeline or Eloise did while I was growing up. She’s lovable, hilarious and ambitious, a best friend any girl would want. When I came across it several years ago, I bought it and fell in love with Olivia.

(images via google)