may i first say how much BC adored olivia when she was a preschooler? i mean LOVED! olivia is a cheeky little pig who isn’t quite perfection – she’s a little bossy and tough. and in the end, her mom notes that olivia wears her out — but that she still loves her. a message any parent could appreciate.
i also loved the fact that there were all sorts of artistic and cultural icons sprinkled throughout the work. olivia imitating jackson pollack is a moment i treasure — after reading this book, we went to the national gallery, where, thanks to this book, BC was able to spot jackson pollack easily on the wall (and i was nearly able to corrupt several young minds talking about painting while drunk. not me painting, silly. pollack.) falconer’s illustrations are among the best i’ve ever found in children’s literature. i love them that much.
that being said, olivia seems to be turning into a cottage industry. olivia counts, olivia reads, why, i’m waiting for olivia potty trains her younger brother. i don’t bother with those.
but i definitely bother with olivia. move over, wilbur, or olivia might kick your porky behind.
I don’t have girls, and my boys would never read Olivia. I’ve seen her at the bookstore and at the book fair. She looks like a spunky little porker.
I completely agree! I *love* Olivia, the writing and especially the way she’s drawn. But I can’t get Liam interested, which I find really odd.
maybe it’s a girl thing. julian doesn’t mind the original olivia, but any of the sequels are just of no interest. oh well. i continue to fight the whole gender-typing war… and lose 😉
i didn’t know there was an “olivia forms a band.” i think i’m gonna have to get that for my little ones…
yeah. they get a record deal, make a few critically acclaimed albums, and then break up over “creative differences.” i think the drummer explodes, too.