Olivia Goes to Venice

Starred review from August 2, 2010
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.

September 1, 2010

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

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Preschool-G In her sixth adventure, Olivia is off to Venice, where she partakes of the citys charms, including gondola rides, walking tours, gelato, and more gelato. The charcoal-and-gouache drawings of Olivia and family are set against magnificently Photoshopped background shots of Venice, sometimes digitally altered to humorous effect. Although this seems more sophisticated than other Olivia tales (perhaps because of the setting), fans will enjoy seeing their favorite bossy piggy, this time at leisure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
The precocious pig and her family travel to Venice. They go sightseeing and eat lots of gelato, but Olivia simply cannot find the perfect souvenir. Though the story, with its eye-catching mixed-media illustrations, seems more like a travelogue than a narrative, Olivia's various escapades throughout the city will remind readers of what they love about her.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)