Olivia Goes to Venice (3)

Falconer, I. (2010). Olivia goes to venice. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

I've seen the Olivia series of books on store shelves countless times, but never had a chance to read any of them. However, I am very grateful that I did! The content of the story Olivia Goes to Venice, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer, was so humorous (even to an adult reader) that on the first read-through, I was barely able to absorb the wonderful mixed-media illustrations, which incorporated color photographs with pencil and ink cartoon drawings, typically in white, black, and red. 

An excellent depiction of the mixed media illustrations used within the book.

The plot of the story centered around a family vacation to the Italian city of Venice, where Olivia, a young female pig, and her family spent time soaking up the local sites, tastes, and overall culture. Because of the setting, the story presented a great deal of specialized vocabulary, such as gelato, gondola, gondolier, prego, and basilica. Because of the use of such terms as well as the inclusion of local landmarks, the book would be a remarkable addition to a study of European cultures.

Book cover.

Though the story was a picture book featuring animals as the characters and the major conflict seemed to be attaining a constant supply of gelato (or perhaps not destroying any of Venice's remarkable landmarks), it could no doubt be enjoyed by a wide audience. The humor of the story was irresistible and often supported by the illustrations, both of which would captivate any age group. 

The original Olivia.

Although this book in particular hasn't been accredited with any majors awards, its predecessor, Olivia, was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2001. Such an acknowledgement, not to mention the pure enjoyment I was given from reading the book, encourages me to read the other books in the series...and to hope they are equally entertaining.