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Olivia is one of those rare picture
books that introduces you to someone brand new and exciting and
quite familiar at the same time. Olivia is a young piglet with a
positively heroic supply of energy and imagination -- she can
occupy herself with just about anything and has a copycat brother
named Ian whom she feels she must keep in line, being the sagacious
elder sister that she is.
Spare but delightfully expressive pencil and charcoal illustrations
are embellished with fire-engine red in appropriate spots,
especially in Olivia's clothing -- she's quite a little
fashionista, who cannot get dressed in the morning without trying
on everything from tutus to turtlenecks. (She even manages to get
her entire body into one leg of what we assume are her mother's
pantyhose.)
Olivia is also very clever -- from her mother's instruction on
creating basic sandcastles, Olivia expands on the technique to
craft an impressive scale model of the Empire State Building. Her
creativity is not limited to sculpture, though. Olivia is a
brilliant dancer (when she should be napping), a Jackson Pollock
protegée (whose work earns her a time out) and a voracious reader
(she haggles with her mother to get three bedtime stories instead
of one). As she finally floats off to sleep, she is a scintillating
diva à la Maria Callas. Olivia is simultaneously every energetic
child you've ever known and a force unto herself. As she and her
mother say goodnight, parents everywhere will smile at the familiar
expression of affection that passes between them. Ages 3-7.
From the Publisher
Have fun with Olivia...
- dressing up
- singing songs
- building sand castles
- napping (maybe)
- dancing
- painting on walls
- and -- whew! --
going to sleep at last.
About the Author
Ian Falconer is a painter and illustrator whose
illustrations have graced many covers of The New Yorker
magazine. In addition, he has designed sets and costumes for the
New York City Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, and the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden, among others. Olivia is his first
children?s book. Mr. Falconer lives in New York City.
From the Author
A conversation with
Ian Falconer
Creator of OLIVIA
Q: We know that the OLIVIA books are about your
niece, but are there any autobiographical parts as well? If so,
what?
A: Of course. One always draws on one's own experiences as well. I
was always a very busy child -- making things.
Q: How did you decide to portray OLIVIA as a
pig?
A: Pigs are very intelligent creatures. They seem to have a more
human quality than, say, chickens -- like dogs.
Q: Were you surprised by OLIVIA's enormous
success?
A: Yes. I was completely overwhelmed.
Q: You have worked in a wide variety of artistic media,
including set design, costume design, magazine illustration, and
book illustration. What do you like best about creating children's
books?
A: I've always felt that children's books are for the most part
condescending toward children and miss how smart children are.
Their little hands and mouths may not be able to articulate what is
going on in their sharp little brains. Writing children's books is
an opportunity to express this, and it seems to be appreciated by
both children and adults.
Q: Olivia's family plays a supporting role in both books.
Are any of the characters in Olivia's family based on your own
family?
A: All of the characters are my sister's family: my niece Olivia's
parents, her two little brothers, and their cat and dog. But they
are all just peripheral. It's really all about Olivia -- at least
in her mind!
Q: Why did you choose to illustrate OLIVIA in
only black, red, and white, rather than in full color? And what is
the significance of the salmon color in OLIVIA SAVES THE
CIRCUS?
A: By eliminating most colors, it helps you focus on facial
expressions and graphic situations without a lot of color and
details obscuring the basic emotional architecture of the story.
Salmon comes from Olivia's dream-world palette. More
theatrical.
Q: The work of Jackson Pollock has become instantly
recognizable to young children since your inclusion of one of his
paintings in OLIVIA. How did you come to select that
painting in particular?
A: Because most kids would look at it and say, "I could do that in
about five minutes."
Q: Many people have remarked upon the unusual portrait of
Eleanor Roosevelt on the wall of Olivia's bedroom in OLIVIA
SAVES THE CIRCUS. Why did you select Mrs. Roosevelt to be
featured in the book and why this particular portrait of
her?
A: I chose Eleanor Roosevelt because she is a great role model and
because it's totally absurd. This particular picture is animated
and funny.
Q: What were some of your favorite books as a
child?
A: The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Higglety Pigglety
Pop! And Eloise, of course.
Q: What artists do you consider to be your greatest
influences?
A: Picasso and Matisse (although you wouldn't know it from the
books).
Q: Did you have a favorite pet as a child? Do you have any
pets now?
A: Yes. A dachshund named Runzel and a seagull named Henry.
Q: You had a seagull?
A: I found it after it had been abandoned, so it was semi-wild.
Eventually he was released into the wild.
Q: Did you particularly like the circus as a child? Did/do
you have a favorite circus attraction?
A: Yes, I enjoyed the circus. There was an old clown named Lou
Jacobs in the Ringling Brothers circus who did an act as a hunter
with a dachshund dressed as a bunny rabbit.
Q: Did you ever tell an outlandish "show and tell" story
of your own?
A: No, not that I remember. Although I had a very active
imagination, I was very shy in front of other people. (But I
dressed up a lot.)
Q: Where is your next OLIVIA book going to take
your heroine?
A: Only Olivia knows!
Q: What are you working on right now?
A: Costumes for a production of Turnadot at the San
Francisco Opera and Olivia Book #3.
Picture Books
40 Pages, 8.5 x 11 x 0.41 in
October 1, 2000
Atheneum Books For Young Readers
English
0689829531
9780689829536