Olivia Goes to Venice

by Ian Falconer, Ian Falconer (Illustrator)

Overview

In her first brand new adventure in three years, Olivia takes her discerning eye for style to beautiful Venice on a family vacation that involves dodging pigeons in the Piazza San Marco, gorging on gelato, and barely staying afloat in a gondola.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416996743
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/28/2010
Series:	Olivia Series
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ian Falconer is the author and illustrator of the Olivia book series, including Olivia, Olivia Helps with Christmas, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia and the Missing Toy, Olivia Saves the Circus, to name a few. Falconer’s illustrations have graced numerous covers of The New Yorker. He has also designed sets and costumes for the New York City Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, the Royal Opera House, and many others. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Ian Falconer is the author and illustrator of the Olivia book series, including Olivia, Olivia Helps with Christmas, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia and the Missing Toy, Olivia Saves the Circus, to name a few. Falconer’s illustrations have graced numerous covers of The New Yorker. He has also designed sets and costumes for the New York City Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, the Royal Opera House, and many others. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Hometown:

New York, New York

Date of Birth:

August 25, 1959

Place of Birth:

Ridgefield, Connecticut

Education:

Studied art history at New York University and painting at Parsons School of Design and Otis Art Institute

Editorial Reviews

The irrepressible Olivia is back--this time on a trip to Venice that hits the tourist hotspots and allows Olivia to be her precocious porcine best. The plot is episodic, but Caldecott Honor artist Falconer’s inventive and droll artwork offers exuberance (and gelato) in nearly every scene, and Olivia’s curiosity and strong sense of self remain intact. The contrast between the antic lines of the charcoal and gouache paintings superimposed over gorgeous color photographs provides much hilarity. As Olivia plaintively holds out corn kernels at the Piazza San Marco, a page turn shows her face full of horror as the pigeons descend like Hitchcock’s birds. Falconer’s understated text is both witty and subtle; when the gondola emerges from under the Bridge of Sighs, “Olivia sighed.” And he remains attuned to the way children think; when Olivia is searched at the airport for weapons, “She was very pleased.” The preposterous ending involves Olivia’s finding the perfect souvenir (“one of the actual Stones of Venice”) and the resulting collapse of a bell tower. This comic sequel is as delightful as its predecessors. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

*"The irrepressible Olivia is back. . . . This comic sequel is as delightful as its predecessors." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"Fans of this series will no doubt find this title humorous and enjoy the piglet’s newest adventure." -- School Library Journal

From the Publisher

The irrepressible Olivia the Pig is off to Venice for spring vacation. She rather enjoys the search for weapons at the airport but is truly enthusiastic to discover that pizza and ice cream—make that "gelato"—are available everywhere. Falconer's whimsical tale about this piglet of strong opinions takes on an Italian flavoras images of Venice's iconic landmarks fill thepages.. At first, the sightseeing goes smoothly: Olivia feeds the pigeons in San Marco Square and sighs as their gondola passes under the Bridge of Sighs. But when she takes one of the famous stones of Venice from the Bell Tower, the Olivia effect kicks in. Her mother warns her that if everyone went off with a piece of Venice, the city would fall down. Olivia holds on to her stone and the family heads off to the airport as the Bell Tower of San Marco crumbles into rubble. It's hard to tell who will enjoy this sixth "Olivia" adventure more—the young listener or the adult reading it. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry

Children's Literature - Mary Hynes-Berry

PreS-Gr 3—Olivia tops her past ventures and escapades when she convinces her family to spend spring vacation in Venice. They wander over many bridges, are enchanted by the beautiful palazzos on the Grand Canal, and feed the pigeons. The pigs consume numerous gelatos and almost sink a gondola from the extra weight they've put on. Of course, Olivia wants to remember her lovely vacation, so she brings home something unique from the city. Her choice is so Olivia, and the Venetians will never forget her for it either. Charcoal and gouache illustrations and photos of the city are digitally enhanced and provide a similar feel to Laurent de Brunhoff's Babar's USA (Abrams, 2008 ). Fans of this series will no doubt find this title humorous and enjoy the piglet's newest adventure.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY

School Library Journal