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A review by sarahfett
Olivia by Ian Falconer
5.0
Do you have an energetic preschooler in your life? If so, you might want to check out
Olivia by Ian Falconer and No, David! by David Shannon from the church library. These
Caldecott Honor books portray two lively young children and the mischief they create.
Olivia tells of an imaginative and spirited little girl pig. The book’s inside cover invites
you to “have fun with Olivia…dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping
(maybe), dancing, painting on the walls, and – whew! – going to sleep at last.” The simple black
and white charcoal illustrations are accented with splashes of red to highlight Olivia’s energy.
The book also includes pictures of two famous paintings. When Olivia and her family go to the
art museum, they look at Ballet Rehearsal on the Set by Edgar Degas and Autumn Rhythm #30
by Jackson Pollock, which Olivia tries to replicate on her bedroom wall. At the end of the day,
Olivia’s mother tucks her in bed and says, "You know, you really wear me out. But I love you
anyway," to which Olivia replies, "I love you anyway too."
The cover of No, David! tells the reader that “when David Shannon was five years old, he
wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: No, David!... and a picture
of David doing things he was not supposed to do. Now David is all grown up. But some things
never change…” The colorful illustrations in No, David! show a rambunctious young boy and
his mother who constantly has to reprimand him as he colors on the walls, tracks mud in the
house, and gets into other forms of mischief. Though David’s mother is always exclaiming “No,
David!” it is just her way of caring for him. The book ends with her saying, “Davey, come here.
Yes, David…I love you.” while pulling him into a big hug.
(From my church's newsletter, February 2011)
Olivia by Ian Falconer and No, David! by David Shannon from the church library. These
Caldecott Honor books portray two lively young children and the mischief they create.
Olivia tells of an imaginative and spirited little girl pig. The book’s inside cover invites
you to “have fun with Olivia…dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping
(maybe), dancing, painting on the walls, and – whew! – going to sleep at last.” The simple black
and white charcoal illustrations are accented with splashes of red to highlight Olivia’s energy.
The book also includes pictures of two famous paintings. When Olivia and her family go to the
art museum, they look at Ballet Rehearsal on the Set by Edgar Degas and Autumn Rhythm #30
by Jackson Pollock, which Olivia tries to replicate on her bedroom wall. At the end of the day,
Olivia’s mother tucks her in bed and says, "You know, you really wear me out. But I love you
anyway," to which Olivia replies, "I love you anyway too."
The cover of No, David! tells the reader that “when David Shannon was five years old, he
wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: No, David!... and a picture
of David doing things he was not supposed to do. Now David is all grown up. But some things
never change…” The colorful illustrations in No, David! show a rambunctious young boy and
his mother who constantly has to reprimand him as he colors on the walls, tracks mud in the
house, and gets into other forms of mischief. Though David’s mother is always exclaiming “No,
David!” it is just her way of caring for him. The book ends with her saying, “Davey, come here.
Yes, David…I love you.” while pulling him into a big hug.
(From my church's newsletter, February 2011)