Olivia Prepares for Christmas

Working in a bookstore, I've seen several books in the children's section featuring a whimsical pig named Olivia, but I never read of the stories in Ian Falconer's series until I came across the latest, Olivia Helps With Christmas, in my ever-earlier pre-Christmas picture book perusal.

Although I have read many tales with porcine protagonists, the fictional character of whom Olivia immediately reminded me was Ramona, irrepressible young (human) star of several Beverly Cleary books. Olivia is a mischievous little piggy who wants to be helpful but doesn't always manage so well, especially as her creative outlook on life sometimes causes her to make simple tasks more complicated.

Her primary preoccupation here is preparing for Christmas, along with her younger brothers Ian and William, who share in her anticipation, particularly Ian. William is a bit young to understand what's going on, but that doesn't prevent him from getting caught up in the excitement.

The prose style is simple, with the charcoal and gouache illustrations doing most of the talking. While most of each page is black and white, certain elements are colorful, such as the green Christmas tree Olivia helps to decorate and the red and green clothing she and Ian wear. Additionally, scattered among the pages are views of the piglets gazing out a window, and the scene through the window is in a much different style than the rest of the illustration.

My favorite series of pictures depicts Olivia in a quandary familiar to anyone who's ever dealt with Christmas lights. In six small illustrations spread across two pages, she become more and more tangled until she finally leaves it to the experts, who probably aren't much more adept than her, as Christmas lights are inherently frustrating. Another entertaining illustration shows her on Christmas morning reacting differently to each of her gifts.

Olivia Helps With Christmas is a fun little book about a child's experience of Christmas and the days leading up to it. Falconer dedicated it to the memory of his father, and it's the sort of story parents and children can enjoy together, laughing at Olivia's antics and enjoying the feeling of togetherness the book espouses. Nothing terribly profound here, just sweet simplicity and silliness. But that's enough to make this one worth the time to read it.