The Character Creator

The man behind the pig is Ian Falconer. His idea for Olivia stemmed from his niece, who already knew, "it was all about her!" The wonderful success for the Olivia books took him by great surprise, and he now has over 8 books starring this tremendous character! But that's not all. You can also find journals, note cards and more, all starring this wonderfully sassy-sweet pig!

Falconer puts all of the emphasis on Olivia and her expressions by eliminating most colors. But these books come to life like no other! By only using black, red, and white, Falconer puts more attention to the details that matter, by illustrating a more "theatrical" Olivia.

Read and Learn

The Olivia books provide a great opportunity to discuss the many challenges Olivia faces. She also has involved parents, which help her, and siblings, which cause some distress as well.

Olivia books can bring about some great discussion of art. Explore art with your preschooler in an Olivia sort-of-way. Go to a museum or find a book of art and ask your preschooler: What art do you like? What do you not like?

Use Olivia's many interests and activities to explore new realms of play and pretend!

Olivia's behavior can always be grounds for discussion as well. There may be time in these books, when it is best to use her behavior as an example of "what not to do."

Why You Should Check it Out

Naughty or nice, we can all learn a little something from Olivia's excitement for life!

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Book series give children the gift of returning characters and worlds — the anticipation of the next book builds sustained literary interest that one-off titles don't.

• Diverse books — featuring characters of different backgrounds, abilities, and family structures — build both empathy in all children and recognition/pride in children from those backgrounds.

• Read aloud with expression — vary your voice for different characters, slow down for suspense, speed up for excitement. Dramatic reading increases comprehension and makes books memorable.

• Children's picture books are not dumbed-down literature — the best ones (Where the Wild Things Are, Charlotte's Web, Goodnight Moon) reward re-reading across decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

My preschooler wants the same book read over and over. Should I allow this?

Absolutely — repeated reading of favorite books is both normal and highly beneficial. With each reading, children understand more: they catch details they missed, connect the story to new experiences, and increasingly delight in predicting what happens next. The request to re-read is a sign of deep engagement, not a cognitive limitation. Never replace a requested re-read with a book you've chosen — follow the child's reading lead. Boredom with a book you've read 30 times doesn't mean the child is bored.

How do I get my preschooler interested in books if they're not naturally drawn to them?

Start with books about the child's existing interests — if they love trucks, find every truck book in the library. Read with physical engagement: let them turn pages, point to objects, make sound effects. Short books work better than long ones for reluctant readers. Reading in highly comfortable, cozy circumstances (snuggled together, with a special reading snack) creates positive association with books. Never force prolonged reading against clear resistance — a 2-minute positive experience beats a 10-minute battle. Most children become enthusiastic book-lovers given sustained positive exposure over months.

Related reading: See also our picture books for empathy and our nonfiction books guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🎭 Dramatic Expression — Hearing books read aloud with expression — character voices, varied pacing, dramatic pauses — models the prosody and emotional range of language that children internalize and bring to their own reading and speaking.
• ❤️ Empathy & Emotional Intelligence — Experiencing a character's feelings, understanding their motivations, and seeing how they navigate challenges develops the theory of mind and empathy that underlie healthy relationships, moral reasoning, and social intelligence.
• 🌍 World Knowledge & Background Knowledge — Nonfiction and information-rich picture books build background knowledge that accelerates reading comprehension — children who know more about the world understand more of what they read across every subject area.
• 🎵 Phonological Awareness — Books with rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and wordplay directly develop phonological awareness — the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in language — which is the strongest single predictor of reading success at school entry.

Olivia

By Ian Falconer

What Makes Her Great?

If you haven't fallen in love with this pig yet, get ready; you're in for a treat. Olivia combines sassy and sweet, and brings wonderful issues to surface.

Ian Falconer's images capture such simplistic wonder that will resonate in your mind. Olivia is one of those pigs you wish you could have for a friend. Or, maybe some of you are lucky enough to know your very own "Olivia" type.