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Loading... Olivia and the Fairy Princesses (original 2012; edition 2012)by Ian Falconer (Author), Ian Falconer (Illustrator)In this addition to the otherwise WONDERFUL Olivia series, Olivia tells little girls that: 1) if they like pink princesses they are unoriginal 2) if they like princesses, they should dress up as princesses from other countries who don't wear pink (not sure why they wouldn't?) 3) that even though Olivia is a pig, she is actually a White girl pig. (as evidenced by the page with the "orphan" pigs who range in shades of white to grey). I still love OLIVIA, just not this particular book. This is a funny story that young children will enjoy and it teaches a great lesson. Olivia is so "depressed" because she does not know what she wants to dress up like. Everyone at the party dresses like a princess, but she does not want to be a princess because they are not special anymore if everyone can be one. Instead, she dresses as a sailor. Finally, at the end of the book she decides she wants to be queen. It teaches young children that it okay to be different. Many young children can relate to Olivia and I think this book will help them understand it is okay to be yourself. Irrepressible Olivia is back in this seventh picture-book devoted to her madcap adventures, and this time she's preoccupied with the idea of being different and special. How is one to accomplish this, in a world where everyone else seems to want to be the same? Everyone wants to be a fairy princess at the party, everyone wants to be a ballerina. Olivia maintains her unique status, marching to the beat of her own drummer, and eventually she realizes what she truly wants to be: The Queen! Like its predecessors, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses pairs an engaging tale of an energetic and imaginative little girl (or pig) with amusing illustrations done in charcoal and gouache. As always, I really enjoyed Ian Falconer's artwork, and his ability to capture the droll expressions on the faces of everyone around his eponymous porcine heroine. I also appreciated the idea presented here, of trying to work out issues of individuality, although I do think that Falconer missed an opportunity to highlight the fact that everyone wants to be special and different, even when their choices seem to indicate mere conformity. Recommended to Olivia fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books addressing the "princess" theme. Quite possibly one of the more adorable picture books that I’ve read recently. The story is lovely, and any kid who doesn’t feel like they fit in will relate to this. Wanting to go against the grain, Olivia is in a bit of a crisis as she tries to figure out how to be herself in a world where everyone wants to be the same. The art is great! I loved every page! I especially loved the background details and some of the little tie ins within the illustrations. Olivia is a fun read for all and the ending is quite adorable. I loved this book because it shows children that it's okay to be different and you don't have to be like everyone else. In the story, Olivia was "depressed" because she was having an identity crisis. She didn't know what she wanted to be when she grows up and all of the other girls in the class want to be princesses. At her friend's birthday party, all of the other girls came wear fluffy pink dresses, crowns, and wands to look like a fairy princess. Olivia opted to wear a French sailor shirt with accommodating accessories. On Halloween, all of the girls dressed up as fairy princesses and Olivia dressed up as a warthog. When it came time for her ballet class' recital, all of the girls in her class wanted to be the fairy princess and even some of the boys. Olivia doesn't understand why girls always want to be fairy princesses. She points out to her mom that they could be princesses from Thailand, Africa, China, Thailand, or somewhere else too. She just doesn't understand why everyone wants to be the same. After laying in bed and thinking about being a nurse, adopting orphans, be a reporter and expose corporate malfeasance, she finally decided that she wants to be a queen. The illustrations in this book really help to emphasize Olivia's point. The majority of the pictures are black, white, and red, but when you see clusters of pigs in pink tutus, it really helps to show how everyone really is dressing the same way. It also makes Olivia's outfits stand out. I also really like this book because Olivia is a believable character. Even though she's a pig, she makes very good points and backs them up with examples. When she's talking about how everyone wants to be the same fairy princess she backs it up with examples from a birthday party, Halloween, and ballet class. I love Olivia because she shows girls that it's okay to be different and not do what everyone else is doing. She is so confident and does what makes her happy and doesn't even think twice about it. This volume of the Olivia saga - in essence - questions gender and cultural stereotypes in a way that only Olivia could. She goes through how backwards it is that all the girls want to be pink princesses, and it bothers her quite a lot. This story, fantasy in nature because she's a personified pig, would be an excellent tool in the classroom for promoting confidence and individualism and the breaking of gender roles and cultural stereotypes. Media: charcoal and gouache Olivia wants to be a unique personality; she is exploring her identity and trying to realize her individuality. She examines her peers and wants her own style. Instead of being just another princess, she decides to be queen. This book looks at social issues of following the crowd. Olivia ponders bigger thoughts, such as being the freezing match girl, a nurse, or a reporter. This book would be good for career day, read aloud critical discussion about uniqueness, and following one's passion. The illustrations are simplified drawings with limited colors. The message is more important; it is relate-able in the social realm. 40 months - O was excited to read this until we got started. She's fairly interested in princesses although not as strongly as most little girls are at some point. So when she found Olivia questioning why all girls love princesses and pink (O's favorite color) I could see her check out. Maybe in a year she'll feel just like her piggie namesake and then appreciate this book. I'm absolutely in love with "Olivia and the Fairy Princesses" for a lot of reasons. First, the message of the story - not being afraid to be different. Olivia's character is very bold, rebellious, and sassy, and her personality shines through with every page. She refuses to be like the rest of her peers as they all dress up like fairy princesses. She even reflects on how everyone wants to be the same exact thing - they're all too scared to branch out and be different. "Why is it always a pink princess? Why not an Indian princess or a princess from Thailand or an African princess or a princess from China? There are alternatives." Even some of the boys do this, which is a component that made me very happy. She spends a majority of the story finding her "identity" and trying out new ones - a "phase" that all young readers go through at some point. This makes it very relevant to all those that read it. She and her mom talk about her issues with identity and Olivia gets very frustrated as she realized how prevalent the push for all girls to be "princesses" is - a larger feminist ideal that I'm very glad is being addressed in a children's book. "'An on Halloween,' said Olivia, 'what did all the girls go as?' 'Princesses.' 'Princesses! I went as a warthog. It was very effective.'" By the end of the book, after going through many ideas on what her identity is, she decided - she's not a princess, but a queen. This book does tackle more complex concepts and language, which makes it ideal for 3rd-5th grade. As said before, her strong characterization engages the reader and helps them identify with her. The illustrations are a little "busy" and scattered but overall I believe they convey the story well. I'm definitely going to have this book in my future classroom. This is a fantasy book about a pig named Olivia. Olivia wants to be a Fairy Princess, but so does everyone else in her class. She is having an identity crisis because all of the little girls want to be a princess. She wants to stand out, so while everyone else was wearing pink ruffly tutus she chose to wear a sailor outfit. She decides that if everyone is a princess, then no one is special and unique. She goes through many different options of what she wants to be and finally decides that she wants to be queen. This modern fantasy book is about a young pig who is going through an identity crisis. She doesn't want to be a princess because all the other little girls and some boys are princesses, but there is nothing else that appeals to her that much. Finally, after exploring her options Olivia, the main character, decides she wants to be the Queen. cover artOlivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian Falconer finds Olivia in a bit of an identity crisis. Of course she likes to the star of the show but she's finding that everyone of her peers (including some of the boys) take to dressing as pink princesses at every special event. Olivia, a strong believer in individuality, wants to do something different and wants recognition for it. Olivia's not against princesses — just the pink, frilly, thing that seems to be the only thing offered to girls her age. She doesn't want to be a princess who needs rescuing. She doesn't want to wear pink frills. She points out that there are other options even among the princesses, like Egyptian, Chinese, or African ones. Most importantly though is the notion of self expression. She is taking her direction from Martha Graham (whose avante garde style of dance is highlighted on several pages). That is combined with her continued love of black, white, and red. In the end, Olivia reaches a solution, one that includes a suitable raise in station. I really enjoy this book. The main idea is that you can be unique. I like this story because of that message. I also like this story because Olivia is a good role model for young girls. It shows that you don't have to be what everyone else is being, you can just be yourself or be who you want to be. It shows this through the text of all of the different princesses, as well as through the illustrations of Olivia in every costume. I also like this book because it is multicultural. It shows princesses from many different cultures and places in the world, and the illustrator has very detailed and elaborate costumes on Olivia that represent these cultures. The best once since the original! Read more here: Reading Rumpus Olivia is faced with a dilemma. She wants to be a princess, but so does everyone else in her class and she hates that she's not unique. Fortunately for Olivia it is not hard for her to stand out from the rest of the crowd. This story is so beneficial for young children because it teaches the importance of always being oneself. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The art is great! I loved every page! I especially loved the background details and some of the little tie ins within the illustrations.
Olivia is a fun read for all and the ending is quite adorable. ( )