癲狂院 Vixen Owl Cigar..。o○

Olivia...# 4 on PW's Children's Bestseller's List !!


The Next Blockbuster Character
Traditionally, little girls have been taught to behave themselves, be quiet, polite, and don't assert yourself.
Of course no one actually says these things anymore but they are still taught by society through media and social interaction.
In this book the main character is a pig (the same animal that is traditionally looked down upon ) and a girl.

Both of these things don't matter to her.
She has no shame in being herself, in being female, or being smart.
These characteristics which would be unremarkable and encouraged in a boy, with a girl everyone seems to notice a lot more.
And in this book however, Olivia's parents praise her for being the way she is, and don't criticize in the way I've seen in other books.

Olivia is that kind of book.
Ian Falconer has created a delightful book you can share with kids whether they're infants, or children who can read on their own.
Its almost an I Spy-type book for toddlers.
There is so much going on in Olivia's life, so many things for you to point to, or for your child to pick out, because Olivia is a little girl (okay, a little piggy ) who is a bundle of energy unleashed.
Ian Falconer shows us how Olivia spends her time--she's ALWAYS on the go.
The words Time out are not in her vocabulary.
"She is very good at wearing people out ."
There are only 40 sentences in this book of forty pages.
But, every page is filled with Olivia and her activities.
Whether she's pounding a nail, bouncing a ball, jumping rope, running, whatever, she's always on the move.

【Ian Falconer】*** Olivia ***
Excellent illustration, Great for Girls ＆ Boys alike..

Another great children's book find in Olivia by Ian Falconer.
This is Ian Falconer's first children's book and deserves a standing ovation in line with the attention his character, Olivia the pig, craves.
Ian Falconer is a notable artist in his own right and has designed many covers for the New Yorker magazine as well as done costume and set design for the New York City Ballet and others.
He has gr8 art and literary world connections, or his editors do.
On the back cover are little notes from some very talented celebrities.

The book contains a strong yet subtle message that you are only who you make yourself, not what you are.
More importantly it states it in a novel way without cliches what could sound as silly as a Barbie Dentist commercial.
You don't have to be a size 0 and prance around in a mini-skirt to get people to notice you.

As an afterthought, the illustrations are so fun and interesting.. As an artist myself, I can say, they are really cute and eye catching.. I think this is a book that every child should have read to them.. An excellent book, this is a must have for little girls.. The illustrations, minimalistic in nature, are very classy and elegant.. Done in black, white and red, the expressions in the faces of all pig people are great.. Moreover, Olivia and her antics will strike a cord with any child, whether a boy or a girl.....

I the semi-bemused look on the parents' faces in the "family picture ."
Another thing that is interesting is that though we know the dog's and cat's names, the names of the mother, father, and brother are unknown.
The book basically covers a few things that Olivia does in a regular day like brushing her teeth, taking a nap not, singing, trying on make-up, painting etc.
It also talks about some special things that Olivia does like going to the beach and museum as well as her love of clothes.
Though the illustrations are the strength of this book, the few words accompanying them add a gr8 deal to the enjoyment of the book.
The tone of the words is humorous and will bring a smile to most readers and listeners lips.
I wish that some of the troubles that she gets into were handled better by her mommy.
This would have made Olivia a good example for kids as well as being gr8 fun.
However, I think that the book though written from an adult frame of mind, tries to minimize the involvement of adults in the book.