WE LOVE OLIVIA

Yes, we do, and so do a lot of other people according to the New York Times Bestseller list. It's just too much fun to watch what kind of fun havoc Olivia creates - and seems to pretty much get away with. My 3-year-old daughter loves books about other 'kids' being somewhat naughty, and Olivia really delivers in that area, with her gleeful, self-centered adventures. The author/illustrator, Ian Falconer's spare drawings, and simply-worded, but very amusing stories, are a nice change from a typical busy, bright, bouncy, children's picture book. We've read them all, and I think our current favorite is "Olivia and the Missing Toy". Although we have not seen "Olivia Helps With Christmas", which is Falconer's latest. The Olivia books website is also very well done, and worth checking out with young Olivia fans. The 'Fun With Olivia' section has some nice downloads, and a great painting game you can do online, and then print out. Take a look for yourself here.