Olivia

Ian Falconer

Editions

Review

Olivia is a pig, about 6 years old, with a little brother called Ian. She wears herself out by running and jumping, moving the cat, dressing up, putting on Mummy’s lipstick.  Last year, when she was little, her mother taught her how to make sandcastles.  She’s getting quite good (picture of the Empire State Building on the beach)…

The jacket of this book tells us that Ian Falconer’s illustrations have often appeared in the New Yorker and that he has designed sets and costumes for ballets.  It shows.  The quality is far superior to most contemporary children’s books.  Everything is in black and white, with significant bits of red on most pages, and the result is original and amusing.  My almost-two son keeps on asking for it, and my 5-year-old daughter likes it too. - review by Johnny de Falbe