Olivia
By Ian Falconer

Atheneum Books, 2000

While Olivia, the main character in this Caldecott Honor Book, is a pig in physical form,  she could easily be mistaken for a very amusing, stubborn, strong-willed, sometimes disobedient, and cuddly child. She wears clothes, plays dress up, brushes her teeth, goes to the beach with her mother, builds sand castles, resists napping, enjoys art museums, and argues with her mother about the number of books before bed. It is thoroughly amusing to watch a little pig engage in these activities.

However, it is the understated nature of this book which really makes it a keeper. The illustrations are sparse and simple with no extraneous detail. The author uses only 4 colors throughout the book: red, white, black and gray. The red is used sparingly to highlight important details in the illustrations.With few carefully chosen words, the author describes Olivia’s foibles conveying both an appreciation of Olivia and a dry sense of humor.