Olivia

Starred review from October 2, 2000
Come one, come all for this extraordinary debut for both Falconer and his unforgettable porcine heroine. The author/artist begins this day-in-the-life tale with a kind of behind-the-scenes peek at Olivia. Articles from her wardrobe are strewn across the endpapers-red tights, red sunglasses, a red T-shirt and red tank top-until the title page reveals her selection: a red sailor dress with black-and-white striped tights. "This is Olivia./ She is good at lots of things," the narrator begins, like an emcee introducing the star of the show. The genius of the volume is its economy: the brief text brilliantly plays off the artwork, rendered only in shades of red and black with an occasional background setting; a deceptively simple design unifies each spread. For one such spread, demonstrating "She is very good at wearing people out," Falconer shows Olivia engaged in a variety of activities in 13 black-and-white vignettes, using red sparingly-for a hammer handle, a yo-yo, a ball, a mixing bowl spatula and a jump rope-as she progresses from energetic to spent. Against a completely white background, these vignettes seem to bob on invisible undulating waves, with the intermittent splashes of red creating a sense of movement and urgency-until Olivia's collapse at the lower right-hand corner of the spread beneath a single line of text ("She even wears herself out"). The few full scenes amplify the deadpan humor: a beach setting allows for the full impact of Olivia's spectacular sandcastle model of the Empire State Building; a full-bleed black-and-white image of a tutu- and tiara-clad Olivia bowing to unseen fans answers the narrator's question "What could she be thinking?" as she stares at her favorite painting, featuring Degas's ballerinas, in a museum. Whether in full scenes or vignettes, Falconer keeps the focus on his inimitable protagonist. He clearly understands his audience: a standout spread shows Olivia getting dressed in her red-only wardrobe ("She has to try on everything") in 17 separate fashion poses. Falconer's choice to suggest Olivia with a minimum of details and a masterful black line allows readers to really identify with her-no doubt, they will. There's a little bit of Olivia in everyone. Ages 3-7.

September 27, 2004
Equal parts endearing and impetuous, Ian Falconer's acclaimed star, Olivia, appears in an unabridged board book version of the Caldecott Honor title. In our Best Books citation, PW wrote, "With a masterful use of black line, a minimum of details, a judicious use of the color red and a few choice words, Falconer invents an unforgettable porcine heroine." .

August 24, 2000
PreS-Gr 3-From the articles of clothing strewn across the front endpapers of this droll account of Olivia's escapades, readers may surmise that this porcine heroine is no ordinary youngster. Olivia is constantly on the move, dreaming big dreams and meeting every challenge head-on. She doesn't just get dressed, she tries on every outfit in the closet. She doesn't just dance, she envisions herself as a prima ballerina bowing before an adoring audience. When her mother teaches her to build sand castles, Olivia creates a towering structure that closely resembles the Chrysler Building in New York City. When she views a Jackson Pollack painting in the museum, she immediately concludes that she can do better and proceeds to try her hand at painting a wall at home. Her efforts earn her time out and a bath. The text is brief, funny, and sometimes ironic in relation to the highly amusing illustrations. The only touches of color in the pictures, executed in charcoal and gouache, are the bright reds of the clothing or objects used by Olivia. There are often many renderings of the young pig on each large white background, effectively demonstrating her boundless energy. Even at day's end, she is still going strong, negotiating the number of books to be read at bedtime. For a lively storyhour featuring feisty females, pair this with Kevin Henkes's stories about Lilly.-Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2000
Ages 3^-5. Olivia, a delightful little pig, is Everychild. She's good at lots of things, especially wearing people out--including herself. When she gets dressed, she tries on everything; at night she's ready to go to sleep, but only after four stories. She's a kissing cousin to Kevin Henkes' Lilly. Unlike the Lilly books, there's no real plot here, and that's too bad. But the spacious design of the book; the appeal of the strong, clever art; and the humor that permeates every page make this a standout anyway. Falconer, a painter and "New Yorker" cover artist, renders Olivia's world in charcoal with dollops of red brightening the pages. Playing dress-up, Olivia stands in front of a mirror wearing red heels, red lipstick, and a red bow tying up her ears. (Little brother, Ian, the copycat, stands behind her, lipstick smearing his mouth and shirt.) When Olivia gets dressed, it's a two-page spread of her in a red ballerina dress, a red bikini, red earmuffs and mittens, a red ball gown--17 outfits in all. The oversize pictures can be seen clearly in story hours, but pouring over them more than once may be the most fun of all: kids will see themselves in Olivia. ((Reviewed August 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2001
Stylish charcoal sketches strategically accented with red paint show the aspirations and misadventures of a determined little pig-girl. Although the story (more of a catalog, really) often seems to be winking at parents over their little ones' heads, the interplay of deadpan text ("Olivia gets dressed. She has to try on everything") and droll illustration (seventeen alternatives of what-shall-I-wear?) is pretty funny.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)