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    Olivia
    Olivia
    Olivia
    Audiobook6 minutes

    Olivia

    Written by Ian Falconer

    Narrated by Dame Edna Everage

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The Caldecott Honor Book and #1 New York Times bestseller is now available in a sturdy format perfect for pig-loving toddlers everywhere!

    It's everyone's favorite pig...it's OLIVIA!

    Join Olivia as she...

    -dresses up
    -sings songs
    -builds sand castles
    -naps (maybe)
    -dances
    -paints on walls
    -and—whew!—

    ...finally goes to sleep at last.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJan 6, 2009
    ISBN9780743574730
    Olivia
    Author

    Ian Falconer

    Ian Woodward Falconer (1959–2023) was an author and illustrator of children’s books, including the beloved Olivia series, and a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created thirty covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications.

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    Reviews for Olivia

    4.5/5

    125 ratings99 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Olivia is a little pig with boundless energy who likes to do lots of things that little girls like to do. This is a great book because little kids can relate to Olivia's seemingly endless energy and her many interests. The drawings in this book, although simple, are colorful and engaging.
    • 4/5
      A cute book with pretty illustrations about the daily life of Olivia, a pig with lots of energy and imagination.
    • 3/5
      Loved this black and white story about a little girl pig named Olivia. Through the fun illustration is the concept of counting in the example of the number of times Olivia is displayed on the page "wearing people out" and the number of books her mother is going to read to her. I also enjoyed that only Olivia is shared in the book with a red dress and a few of the items have some color only like the museum pictures. T his gives me that idea that the color in the story represents something of importance the illustrator is demonstrating. Good to share with both a younger and older group of students. Love this book!!
    • 5/5
      Reaction: As a mother of a little Olivia, I enjoy reading this book over and over again with my daughter. My pig loving daughter finds humor in watching Olivia try on 20 different outfits and painting the wall red and black! Very funny book for Mom and daughter!
    • 5/5
      Olivia is a charming and funny story, with great illustrations, and an even better main character. Olivia became a classic child's character the moment she was published. She is a clever and creative pig, whose imagination is unbounded. Her family is wonderful, too, with a deeply understanding mom, and a troublesome but also frequently troubled younger brother, Ian. (We actually don't learn much about her dad in this book.) They also have Perry the dog and Edwin the cat . The pictures are predominantly in black and white, and the only other color the author (and illustrator) uses is red, which stands out by contrast. Olivia's dress and other clothes are red, as are a few key features that draw our eyes, such as the ball on the beach or Olivia's illustrations on the wall. This, her debut book, introduces us to Olivia's - adorable - quirks. How she tries on everything she owns before settling on one outfit for the day. Her love of the beach, and how she must come prepared (the picture for that is hilarious). The fact that she is very good at wearing people out - even herself. Her little daily rituals, and the way her imagination transforms a sand castle into a might skyscraper, or a Degas painting into a personal ballet recital. Her interest in recreating fine art at home - perhaps by painting an imitation Pollock on the wall. I particularly like the way she bargains her mom into reading more than one book at bedtime.This is a book I love. The story and pictures are perfectly integrated, and the characters have an essential quality that makes children's stories great. They are unforgettable, have childish charm and imagination, and are original. Olivia is one of my favorite characters. She is a sassy and independent girl who is lovable and creative. She is so great! Also, the way Falconer writes is perfect for a picture book. The text is simple but evocative. You can feel a tongue-in-cheek humor riding in the lines, and he doesn't feel the need to explain everything in words, but has the pictures and the text interacting together to create a powerful effect. We own this as a board book, but I will have to buy it in picture book format, because the illustrations are worth it. I can't recommend this book enough; it's an example of how great a picture book can be.
    • 4/5
      The cute little pig, Olivia, is so heartwarming. Instead of just stating that Olivia "has to try on everything" (Falconer, 2000), there are seventeen individual pictures on the same page, all showing her trying on something different. Olivia lays out in the sun and instead of saying she got sunburned, it reads "when her mother sees that she's had enough, they go home." (Falconer, 2000) These words could imply that Olivia gets tired, or that she's ready to go home, but the picture explains it all, giving the words more depth. Seeing these pictures all by themselves, a reader could easily pick up on the story and understand it fully.
    • 5/5
      This is a cute story filled with run on sentences that make the book fun. It's about a little pig girl in her everyday life and what happens. She is very determined and loves art and dance.
    • 4/5
      This is a fantasy book. It follows the actions of Olivia, a mischievous little pig who gets into all sorts of trouble. There are not many words on each page, making it a relatively simple book that I could use in a 1st grade classroom.
    • 4/5
      Ian Falconer's original story revealing a day in the life of Olivia, a young, spunky pig, who is good at a lot of things. She shares with the readers her outgoing personality, and her "give it a go" attitude. For Olivia, nothing is too challenging. I think this book delivers a positive message and is a good book to read to young students so that they can develop a strong self-esteem.
    • 5/5
      A charming story about Olivia the pig and her adventures to the beach, the museum, and everyday life. Lots of funny pictures and fun to read for boys and girls alike.
    • 5/5
      Olivia is a book about a pig with a lot of energy. It is about her day and how she wears other people out and also herself. I love how it explains Olivia's personality and despite all the things she does, her mom says "I love you anyway." This book would be great for students to connect to their daily routine and how it compares or contrasts to Olivia's. Also, it could be fun for students to draw themselves throughout the day just as Olivia is drawn in this book and then make connections.
    • 5/5
      The black, white, and red illustrations in this book are adorable, and Olivia inspires children to pursue their interests in the arts.
    • 5/5
      Olivia by Ian Falconer is about a girl pig who goes about her everyday life and does everything that she sets her mind to. This story has run-on sentences and is written from Olivia's point of view so it is relatable to children. This book also has great pictures. This story can be relatable to any student and can teach students that they can do anything that they put their mind to.
    • 4/5
      I love the illustrations, which are what make this title stand out. The color palette is largely limited to red, black, white, and shades of grey; the scenery is sparse; Olivia's pig-body is drawn with a nod to its inherent awkwardness (no neck makes some of her outfits look funny/bizarre). Very charming, very minimal and quite altogether lovely. The story is cute, too, however, but, again, very simple. There's not much plot - Olivia is a pig who may be moderately hyperactive, lol, and likes to play dress-up. She goes to the beach, goes to museums, and goes to bed. My favorite lines are at the end when Olivia's mother is reading her a story at bedtime: "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.'" Really subtle, apt, and clever!
    • 4/5
      This an adorable fantasy/realistic fiction story. Although the main character is a pig, hence fantasy, everything her and her family does is very relatable to what students may experience in their day-to-day lives. There are simple events of sibling interactions, imagining/day dreaming, reading before bed, and creating art that you saw at a museum. Olivia's life is very relatable even if she is just a pig.
    • 4/5
      Olivia exhibits a quirky personality and shows what a typical day in her life is like.
    • 5/5
      Love Olivia! This is a story of a little big with a big attitude. The humor and and wit that Ian Falconer adds to the text and illustrations is appreciated by the young and the old. The reader is introduced to this pig through a variety of pictures that allow the audience to see what Olivia is good at: hammering, jumping, dancing, standing on her head, kicking a ball, jumping rope, etc. She is especially good at wearing people out; "She even wears herself out." Throughout the book, Olivia's character is revealed: she likes to try on everything she has when getting dressed (shown by the 17outfits illustrated by the author); she enjoys the beach and making sand castles- she makes the Empire State Building after her mother demonstrates the simple version of making a sand castle; she enjoys dancing; going to the museum; and being read to before bedtime. A day with Olivia is exhausting! The illustrations in this book are unique, featuring grayscale, black and red on a white background. So simple, yet the pictures really pop. The author/illustrator also incorporates the use of details from two famous paintings, one appreciated by Olivia, the other inspiring her to paint a replica on her own wall. This book will largely entertain the female audience, but anyone who picks up the book with most likely get a kick out of this pint-sized pig.
    • 5/5
      Genre: fictionI would:- read this book aloud to my students during the first day or week of school to get them thinking about what they are like.- use this book to teach students about character.Review: Olivia is a good example of a fiction book because the character of Olivia seems believable and the art illustrates the story well.
    • 5/5
      Olivia is a normal girl (well, a pig, but a girl nonetheless) - her little brother annoys her, she is never sleepy around bedtime, and she wears her mother out. Olivia loves to play dress-up and make sandcastles (that are epic) but she does not get Jackson Pollack. This is a fun story to read to young children and the illustrations are adorable, too!
    • 5/5
      "Olivia" is a wonderful little story about a little pig whose name happens to be Olivia. The story focuses and illustrates the typical day, adventures and misadventures in Olivia?s life. "Olivia" does not tell the story in so many words but instead threw gorgeous illustrations. "Olivia" is personally my favorite children?s book, the simple way the illustrations bring out the little pigs personality is simply magnificent. The author, Falconer, Ian uses color contrast in a very effective way to bring life to this book. Red is the only color presented in this book and it is my belief that "Olivia" would be spoiled if any other colors were present. The story itself uses very few words, and the sentences are not even constructed very well. One can easily see that "Olivia" is intended to be a very easy read for young readers. As a future teacher I have a few extension ideas for this book. One is that it be used in an animal week by having the teacher read different books about animals including this one. I think this book could also be used to show children how effective color can be at taking your attention. Maybe the teacher could wear all red during the day see reads this book, or have a game where all the children tries to wear only one color of clothing during the day the book is to be read.
    • 4/5
      Olivia is a pig. She has a brother, mother, father,a dog, and a car. Olivia is the story of how exhausting, charming, demanding, curious, innovative, intelligent imaginative, independent a child between the ages of three to five can be. She does not like nap time. Give it forty years, she will change her mind.
    • 5/5
      Love Olivia, and the illustrations (black & white w/splashes of red).
    • 4/5
      Ian Falconer does an amazing job bringing a little pig named Olivia to life. Olivia has a big and unique personality. She is ready to try to do just about anything that she finds interesting. She has two brothers, one of them named Ian who she calls "my little bother" The book is very cute and the illustrations are very nice. The author dims all the colors around the main character, making them blend and letting the main character stand out. Ian Falconer has a several of these books with all of Olivia's adventures. Many children especially girls can relate to the main character who wants to know about everything around her.
    • 5/5
      Another review that LibraryThing ate so I have to rewrite... lovely...Olivia is a great book about a pig who runs around doing all kinds of neat things in the day. She causes trouble, dreams, has adventures, etc etc. She is unabashedly herself. That to me makes this book amazing. It teaches children you can be yourself, fiercely imaginative, independent, quirky and that you don't have to be ashamed of it. It doesn't glorify bad behavior, nor is it too hard on Olivia's mistakes. She's a GOOD person which is what really counts. I see this as a great all around classroom book, not really with a connection to a unit unless there was one about being true to yourself or ... the color red? I'm not sure =)
    • 4/5
      Olivia is about a litte girl piglet who is very busy. She enjoys going to the beach, dressing up, and playing games. However olivia does not like to take naps even when she is tired. She wears everyone out.I can relate to book personally, i have a 11 month old son who is very busy and does not like to take naps. For classroom extension ideas i could have the kids take a black a and white picture and color one item red like the illustrations in this story. Another idea is i could read this story to the class during the week we cover the letter 'p' and have them write a story about a pig.
    • 5/5
      Summary: This is a very cute book about a pig named Olivia. She is a very special pig that has a lot on her mind and can wear almost anybody out. but no matter what you can't help but love her.Personal Reaction: this is a really good read aloud book that all children can relate to.Classroom Extension Ideas: We will make Olivia the pig.
    • 3/5
      SummaryOlivia is about a pig named Olivia who likes to do everything. She has a mom, dad, and a little brother named Ian. She a typical little girl who likes to try on all her clothes, and admires a special painting of ballerinas. She enjoys trying new things. She doesn't like to take naps. In the end no matter how busy she likes to be a wear her mommy out they still make time for a book.Personal ReactionI like Olivia. She is a all around busy little girl. She likes to do and try new things. She is very smart and reminds me so much of me when I was little. I wanted to always do everything. She is was a good book to read.Classroom extension1. I would read the book to older children and have them draw something that they like to do just like Olivia.2. I would show the kids a picture or artwork and have the children paint, draw, or color what they see. Just like Olivia did in the story.
    • 5/5
      This story centers around the protagonist Olivia and the details of her life and daily routine. Olivia feels like a recognizable character, in the sense that everyone knows someone who is similar to her; somebody who can't help but wear you out. The story is very simple and reveals more about who Olivia is than anything else. This creates a great connection to the character of Olivia and children are more than able to connect with her on multiple levels.
    • 5/5
      Ian Falconer's Olivia is the pig protagonist for children to recognize themselves in. Falconer?s spare but humorous prose with illustrations to match introduces Olivia, child pig, who is ?good at a lots of things? especially ?wearing people out.? Olivia?s antics at home, the beach, and in the museum will amuse kids and parents alike, and his striking charcoal and gouache illustrations provide allusions that only the adults will recognize. Olivia is a truly urbane picture book that will be appreciated by more than the mere progeny of New Yorker subscribers.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic book about a liitle girl pig, Olivia, who sees the world as one big stage for her adventures! Other characters include a little brother who follows her around, a Mom and Dad who are flustered and amused by her high energy, and let's not forget her cat Edwin who Olivia "moves" as part of her daily routine.