“Read me this one, Grandma,” asks Sloane, holding up her copy of Olivia. She turns the opening pages fingering the small illustrations before we even get to the story.
SUMMARY:
Olivia is the title character, a six-year old pig with a sophisticated appreciation for Edgar Degas paintings and an exhausting ability to “wear someone out.” Olivia is “good at a lot of things” including her ability to:
- sing (40 VERY LOUD SONGS),
- keep her younger brother, Ian, in line,
- build sandcastles that rival the Empire State Building.
BUT, Olivia does not want to take a nap.
In the book, Olivia demonstrates how to negotiate a number of bedtime books with her mother:
“Only five books today, Mommy,” she says.
“No, Olivia, just one.”
“How about four?”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Oh, all right, three. But that’s it.”
In my short grand-parenting experience, we never read “just one” because Sloane negotiates …just like Olivia.
AUDIENCE: Olivia is ideal for both pre-school listeners (3-5 years) and their adult readers. The sly humor makes even repeated readings enjoyable. Children may agree with Olivia’s assessment of modern art (“a mess”). Adults may be surprised when Olivia finally falls asleep, she dreams of the opera diva, Maria Callas.
WHY OLIVIA? Olivia is the 2004 Caldecott winning picture book by author and illustrator Ian Falconer (who passed away in 2023). The book is frequently featured as one of the top 100 picture books for children and has been a NYTimes #1 best seller.
This picture book is also an ideal entry for this blog about children driving the book choice(s) for a bedtime read-aloud.
READ-ALOUD SUGGESTIONS When reading Olivia, there are many opportunities to pause and spend time discussing the pictures. For example, Olivia “has to try on everything” on a two-page spread of clothing choices, with everything from evening gowns to underwear. Sloane insists we stop and name each piece of clothing; she admires Olivia’s extensive wardrobe.
We spend several minutes discussing the clothes on these pages.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The 34-page book features simple black and white drawings with bright red accents. Sloane particularly calls attention to the flaming red lipstick Olivia wears, and that her brother Ian poorly imitates!
Other illustrations include credited works by Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm #30 and Edgar Degas’ Ballet Rehearsal. Falconer may be also recognized as the illustrator for several New Yorker magazine covers.
OTHER BOOKS: Olivia Helps with Christmas, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia and the Missing Toy, Olivia Saves the Circus. Board books also available.
The qualities of confidence and creativity are what any parent or grandparent try to instill in a young girl. The character Olivia has these qualities in abundance.
Let Olivia be her guide!
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