by Emily Ser

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: July 27, 2009

It is almost unfortunate that children want to hear the same familiar stories over and over given the number of great books for children, but there is one series that warrants this kind of devotion. I recently discovered a fantastic series of picture books by Ian Falconer, guaranteed to amuse the adult reader as much as the child.

These books star a pig named Olivia, who does many of the everyday activities a human child participates in, but Falconer expertly combines words and illustration to spin these behaviors into high comedy.

In one scene, Olivia tries to find two matching socks. The accompanying illustration shows a pile of red socks that, according to Olivia, do not match the one in her hand.

When she goes to the museum she sees a painting by Jackson Pollack and decides that she could paint that in five minutes. When she gets home she does. On the wall.

Each scene depicts a fully developed, rounded character that children and adults can relate to instantly and intimately. And the brilliant, black, white, and red illustrations bring Olivia and her world to life.

Two Olivia board books have been published in addition to the Caldecott winning original, Olivia, which is available in a hard cover and a board book edition. These two books, Olivia's Opposites and Olivia Counts, allow even the youngest children to enjoy Falconer's stunning creation.

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