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  Olivia - Ian Falconer

  Beautifully drawn, Olivia is a stunning picture book, with graphics worthy of the title: art.

  The eponymous character, is a snouty little pig who takes the greatest of pleasure in being creative in ventures, escapades and interesting things such as dancing, singing, and in this instance, making sandcastles. Oh, and thinking and sleeping of course (which is where a great deal of creativity begins). Olivia is an adorable creature who knows how it is to feel love and be loved.

  Obvious to see, Falconer is sharp, witty and a lover of the arts. These traits are but enhancement and inspiration for a man who is able to depict a lovable pig, in a storyline that will enchant even the coldest of hearts. Surely, little Olivia is here to educate one and all to the enthusiasm and wonders of the world, whilst being enigmatic enough to leave room for further musing by the reader, or the read to!

  Sublime in their simplicity of colour, being only red, black and white, each image creates impact and is instantly memorable. Cleverly done, this title and others in the Olivia series, can easily be appreciated by children of all ages: the youngest will revel in the imagery and the young will adore the clarity of the prose, whilst the adult reader will pick up on the complex nuances – the emotions, morals and concepts that make this work really stand shoulders above the average picture book.

  Olivia, like all of Falconers' illustrated texts, is a book to be taken to flicked through in the morning, read in the afternoon and taken to bed at night and perused until the early hours: it is a book to be treasured until the very end!

  Review by Helen Frosi on 14:04, 04 Apr 2008

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