Olivia is a porcine prima donna who delights in wearing red, and wearing herself and others out. Ian Falconer has created an economical story using minimal text and simple line drawings to tell the tale of Olivia, the piglet with attitude.


What impressed me most when I first read Olivia was how dry the humour is. Humour is a central theme in the book and is one of the reasons Olivia the pig is so engaging. She's like the naughty child we have all known, who is so full of life and charm you can't help but forgive them their various transgressions.


Perhaps my favourite moment in the book, and a good example of its Buster Keaton, dead pan style humour, is when Olivia's mother teaches Olivia how to make sand castles at the beach. The next page has the brief description, "she became quite good at it," and features a towering, architecturally perfect sand castle of what looks to be the Empire State building.


I remember when I first saw that picture. I was in a large bookstore that was filled with shoppers. Mums with kids, grandparents, store assistants, etc.


I turned the page, saw the size and dimension of the sand castle and couldn't prevent a loud, involuntary laugh.


I recommend Olivia as a shared story reading. Humorous moments are beautifully constructed, and it is a highly engaging story with rich and interesting language.

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