Olivia by Ian Falconer

from goodreads

4 stars

Being a busy mom has some perks. Honestly, if you are into comedy be around a 6 year old. Sometimes Miss G's wit is astounding. Miss P is more into physical comedy. She loves looking at you through her legs. What a goof ball.

As a busy mom who likes to read I love reading books that show how parents really see their kids. I love it when authors get the nuances of what kids do. I love when they share the same frustrations you do. It makes you feel you are not alone. My husband recently picked out a book for me at the library and said, "I think you should read this." It was Go the F$#@ to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. The book spoke truer words to me then ever. If you can handle a bit of profanity and you have kids that are constantly coming out of their room at night or are now toddlers and still have trouble sleeping, this is truly a book you will appreciate. (Just don't say what is in the book to your kids, you definitely won't win parenting points then.)

Synopsis

This is a book about Olivia, who is good at lots of things. See a day in the life of one awesome girl.

My Thoughts

We got this book when Miss V was little. She is now 8. Where did the time go? I loved in then as much as I love it now. This is definitely a modern children's classic.

I love the illustrations. They are simple, using only black white and red, yet they express so much. I love the use of other famous works of art in the story. It starts to pique the children's interest into what art can be and how it can be used to make us feel different things.

I love some of the dry humour used, especially when talking about the sandcastle. It's one of my favourite bits.

I love how I can see different bits of my kids in this book. Not all children are the same or identical. I can't say, "oh yes, Miss G is definitely the same as Olivia". Yet, each of my kids share some personality traits that I can see in the character, and that is kind of cool.

If you haven't read it I would put this on your kids to read list. If you have read it, it is worth another read, even if your kids are all grown up.