Customer Reviews
Olivia. She is good at lots of things. 
2008-08-09
The book is simple and short enough that a little one can sit through it, and the humor is subtle enough to catch an adult or older child. What's not to like?
In addition, in the board book form, we've got a very sturdily constructed book here. I can picture it lasting through a war. It's heavy as heck, but it's sturdily built, easily capable of withstanding a teething kidlet.
Olivia and Babe are my favorite pigs 
2008-08-07
I love a children's book that begins the story on the end pages (located just inside the covers). How creative! What fun! That's just where Ian Falconer begins his story of Olivia, my favorite children's book character.
Olivia is the child you want, but fear having--creative, impulsive, talented, energetic, headstrong, in other words, too much personality, a difficult and gifted child. At the same time you love her anyway!
Falconer has cleverly chosen to draw Olivia in black and white and add touches of one bright color. In this, his first Olivia book, he chose red. One thing about Olivia is that she wears people out with her antics, even herself. One of the best scenes is the one where she tries on ALL her clothes--all red pieces--dresses, purses, hats, undies, tops, muffs, sneakers, backpacks, caps, bikinis, and one pair of gray panty hose.
Today the family goes to the beach where Olivia makes a sand castle that looks like a skyscraper ("She got pretty good"). After Olivia sunburns, they go home. She refuses to nap. Her mother takes her to museums on rainy days where she studies paintings by Degas and, of course, dreams of being the ballerina. At the Jackson Pollock painting, she declares she could do that in five minutes and does so when she gets home (much to Mom's chagrin).
That night her mother reads to her a story about Maria Callas (notice how Falconer works in cultural elements?).
"When it's time to stop, Olivia's mother gives her a kiss and says, 'You know, you really wear me out. But I love you anyway.'
"And Olivia gives her a kiss back and says, 'I love you anyway, too.'" Then dreams of being an opera star.
THIS IS A BLANK JOURNAL NOT A STORYBOOK! 
2008-07-29
How can a blank journal have an author or an editorial review? The cover looks just like the picture attached (a little pig in the middle of a white square that says "OLIVIA".) But (on Amazon) you can "look inside" and see the pages from a "different" edition. What you actually get is a nice little notebook with a pen and about 50 sheets of 6x6 lined paper. This was a waste of money, and for the price, hardly worth returning. Very disappointing Amazon!
Super recomendable 2008-06-21
Diferente, hermoso, con un tono narrativo que no es el típico de los libros para chicos. Cuanto más se lo leo a mi hijo de dos años, más me gusta, más posibilidades de narrarlo descubro desde su economía de palabras y la expresividad de sus dibujos. Con frases cortas y texto breve, es perfecto para los más chicos.
You got to love Olivia! 2008-05-28
This little pig is great! What a fun story to read with your little ones!
Olivia reminds me of someone I know, oh yeah! My daughter! 2008-04-16
Have fun with Olivia...
- dressing up
- singing songs
- building sand castles
- napping (maybe)
- dancing
- painting on walls
- and -- whew! --
going to sleep at last.
Excellent product 2008-03-26
This book is an excellent addition to any child's library. The board book edition holds up better to little ones who still chew on their books.
hilarious 2008-02-22
This book makes me chuckle when I'm reading it to my daughter. She's not sure why I think the illustration on the sand castle page with "she got pretty good" is so hilarious--- but it'll slay you if you're a grown-up. These books are really really witty. you hear this a lot- but they're great for kids AND grown-ups!
deft but not transcendent 2008-02-11
Visually playful, with arresting illustration and some fun page layout. Olivia's a spirited character for toddler girls--inquisitive, physical, testing limits. But after a few weeks of heavy rotation in our home months ago, we haven't returned to it much. One reason why: the only drama it has is family drama, not larger social drama. It doesn't give much of a picture of how the mysterious wider world works. No other characters have weight besides Olivia. Not enough story in the book to make it a must-have, even for NYC kids like mine.
My three-year-old's favorite book 2008-01-10
I had seen this book in bookstores but didn't know how absolutely terrific it was until my daughter received it for Christmas this year. The first time I sat with her and read the book, my daughter really connected with the character of Olivia, who, like her, sings loudly, dreams of dancing, refuses to take naps, and conducts a bedtime story bidding war nightly.
My daughter loves all types of kids' stories, from fairy tales to more modern fare, but something in Ian Falconer's book really resonated with her to the point where she actually asks to read the story again and again in the same sitting (and not just as a ruse to forestall nap time or bedtime either). When I tire out after the fifth or so reading, she will flip through the pages and giggle -- I predict that this will be the first book she memorizes from cover to cover. I have never seen her so captivated by a book.
My wife and I love the book, too. It is a book which captures the essence of precocious girlhood to the point where we, like many other parents, are convinced that Olivia could very well have been based on our own little girl.
