Olivia

That hyperactive porcine wonder, Olivia, a pig with a strong (and winsome!) personality, debuted here, in this first picture-book devoted to her many adventures. Always on the go, always trying new things and imitating what she sees, Olivia wears everyone out, including herself! Whether imagining herself as one of Degas' ballerinas, after a visit to the museum, or attempting a Jackson Pollock style painting on her bedroom wall - much to the horror of her mother! - Olivia is a pig who likes to experiment...

Chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 2001, Olivia launched a picture-book legend, one who has continued to be immensely popular since, and who now has a television show dedicated to her adventures. For my part, I absolutely love this show more book, and have since it was first published. The artwork is gorgeous, and well worthy of the Caldecott nod it won Ian Falconer. The scenes in which Olivia imagines herself as a ballerina, or attempts painting, are beautifully done, and immensely humorous. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring feisty girl characters with lots of imagination and sparkle! show less

Olivia is a charming and funny story, with great illustrations, and an even better main character. Olivia became a classic child's character the moment she was published. She is a clever and creative pig, whose imagination is unbounded. Her family is wonderful, too, with a deeply understanding mom, and a troublesome but also frequently troubled younger brother, Ian. (We actually don't learn much about her dad in this book.) They also have Perry the dog and Edwin the cat . The pictures are predominantly in black and white, and the only other color the author (and illustrator) uses is red, which stands out by contrast. Olivia's dress and other clothes are red, as are a few key features that draw our eyes, such as the ball on the beach or show more Olivia's illustrations on the wall.

This, her debut book, introduces us to Olivia's - adorable - quirks. How she tries on everything she owns before settling on one outfit for the day. Her love of the beach, and how she must come prepared (the picture for that is hilarious). The fact that she is very good at wearing people out - even herself. Her little daily rituals, and the way her imagination transforms a sand castle into a might skyscraper, or a Degas painting into a personal ballet recital. Her interest in recreating fine art at home - perhaps by painting an imitation Pollock on the wall. I particularly like the way she bargains her mom into reading more than one book at bedtime.

This is a book I love. The story and pictures are perfectly integrated, and the characters have an essential quality that makes children's stories great. They are unforgettable, have childish charm and imagination, and are original. Olivia is one of my favorite characters. She is a sassy and independent girl who is lovable and creative. She is so great! Also, the way Falconer writes is perfect for a picture book. The text is simple but evocative. You can feel a tongue-in-cheek humor riding in the lines, and he doesn't feel the need to explain everything in words, but has the pictures and the text interacting together to create a powerful effect. We own this as a board book, but I will have to buy it in picture book format, because the illustrations are worth it. I can't recommend this book enough; it's an example of how great a picture book can be. show less

This book is a fun story about a little pig who is very active and headstrong. I laughed and smiled throughout the entire book because Olivia reminds me of my little sister. I think this book would be very relatable for young children. The author uses paint and pencil as his medium. He uses the color red, while everything else is black and white, to make the reader focus on Olivia or the object of interest on each page. He also uses line to convey how the characters are feeling throughout the story.

I decided to read this book simply because the title of the book was my name. I have heard of the Olivia series as being a television show, but I did not know that it was a book series as well. I really enjoyed reading the book, and I even saw bits of myself in the book. Olivia does not always listen to her mom, and that was exactly like I was when I was little. One of my favorite parts of the book was when there was probably. 40-50 little images of Olivia on the page and in each one she was doing something different and unique. It reminded me what a child's life should really be like. I am happy I stumbled across this book, even if I was 20 years old by the time I found it.

I loved this book; I remember reading this in elementary school, and it reminds me so much of my little sister. The illustrations are beautiful, and I love the black and white theme with a pop of red on Olivia to match her active attitude. I understood her when she saw the painting in the museum, I also don't get how some art in the museums could be so popular, and I do sometimes feel like I could paint something similar within minutes. I like how relatable Olivia's character is to children and even some adults.

I enjoyed reading the story Olivia because of its fun and humorous tone and because I think young children can relate to the main character. The characters in the book are pigs that act like humans, making the story different from others and adding to the humor of the story. The illustrations also add to the humor of the story. On one page the author says, “Olivia gets dressed. She has to try on everything”, then there are illustrations of her in numerous different outfits.
Olivia’s life is relatable for many children, on one page it says, “On sunny days, Olivia likes to go to the beach… Last summer when Olivia was little, her mother showed her how to make sand castles”. Many young children enjoy going to the beach and show more building sandcastles so they can relate to Olivia.
I think that the central message from his book is for children to know that they can become anything they want to be when they grow up. Even though Olivia is still little she still thinks about one day being a ballerina dancer and imagines herself on stage. I think another main message for children is that it’s ok to make mistakes and be a little kid. Olivia is very active, but in the end of the story her mother says to her, “You know, you really wear me out. But I love you anyway”. show less

I love the illustrations, which are what make this title stand out. The color palette is largely limited to red, black, white, and shades of grey; the scenery is sparse; Olivia's pig-body is drawn with a nod to its inherent awkwardness (no neck makes some of her outfits look funny/bizarre). Very charming, very minimal and quite altogether lovely.

The story is cute, too, however, but, again, very simple. There's not much plot - Olivia is a pig who may be moderately hyperactive, lol, and likes to play dress-up. She goes to the beach, goes to museums, and goes to bed. My favorite lines are at the end when Olivia's mother is reading her a story at bedtime: "Olivia's mother gives her a kiss and says, 'You know, you really wear me out. But I show more love you anyway.' And Olivia gives her a kiss back and says, 'I love you anyway too.'" Really subtle, apt, and clever! show less