READ THIS: Olivia By Ian Falconer Illustrated by: Ian Falconer Our Coverage Sponsored by Folkmanis® Puppets
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Of all the Olivia books, the first is my favorite! I love pigs, so I knew that this book would be one that I would have to get for my class. I am so glad I shared it with them. My favorite part of the book is right on the first page when it says Olivia is good at a lot of things. I love how it then goes to describe all the things she's good at. Of course, as I was reading it out loud to my students, they couldn't help but say how they loved the things she loved too. Since my students couldn't wait to share what they liked to do and what they thought they were good at, I had to turn it into a writing lesson. Instead of my students writing what they thought they were good at, I paired them up and had them write a story about what their classmates were good at. Of course, we had to have some Olivia types of antics while writing our stories. I was very pleased with what my students came up with, and I have Olivia to thank for that!
Olivia is one of my favorite shows on TV for my daughter and me. She has the best sayings and lessons in life. She is THE MOST ORIGINAL character out there and one of the most creative as well. So this book feeds into all of the things I love most about Olivia. Especially how particular she is about wearing the color red. So when you see her trying on clothing and everything is red, red, red you cannot help but smile. Plus, her intense dreaming of what she will be based on what she learned or experienced today. It is exactly what I think is going through my daughters head all the time. When it is time for bed and Olivia has to settle down there are just not enough hours in the day for her. So the battle of the books before bed begins as she must here as many new stories so that she can have a full night of dreams. Bravo Olivia!
Olivia, the Eloise of pigs! "Olivia" by Ian Falconer is a very entertaining read. She had my four and a half year old laughing out loud (and me too for that matter!). Olivia is introduced to her reader in this manner, "This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things. She is very good at wearing people out. She even wears herself out." Anyone who has spent time with a preschooler knows these statements to be true! The artwork by Ian Falconer is fabulous, but that isn't surprising considering his work for the The New Yorker magazine. As I mentioned, Olivia is definitely Eloise-like. What I like though, is that Olivia has a mommy, a daddy and a brother and not just a nanny (as Eloise does). Olivia is a confident, talented little pig and my preschooler and I really enjoyed our time together reading her tale!
Olivia is the cutest pig on the block! I love this book for my daughter and I know she loves it too! The book's beautiful illustrations bring the book to life. I love all of the drawings. The story about Olivia is just so cute! Olivia has such a fun personality. She is feisty and imaginative. She loves to bring us on an adventure and my daughter can't get enough. I too love reading this book! It is a must have for everyone's library an know it is also wonderful to give as a gift.
