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Olivia Goes to Venice: with audio recording (Olivia)
by
Ian Falconer
In this eBook with audio, Olivia takes her discerning eye for style to beautiful Venice on a family vacation that involves dodging pigeons in the Piazza San Marco, gorging on gelato, and barely staying afloat in a gondola. This is sure to be a trip to remember!
ebook, 48 pages
Published
November 16th 2010
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
(first published June 30th 2009)
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737)
look at all of my olivias!! the one in the middle who looks all dirty actually is very dirty, because she is supposed to be wearing red footie pajamas, but they keep falling off because she is a little nudist.
bad olivia!
anyway, look at that signature!!awesome ariel lied to ian falconer and told him i was a five-year-old girl (which makes me feel better because no girl my age should have this many stuffed olivias, and we haven't even photographed the olivia music box, the olivia alarm clock, the...more
51 likes · like · see review
view all 26 comments
fun read aloud with pictures of Venice; missed opportunity - a glossary with information about each of the pictures; story-line a bit weak - the problem is she needs a souvenir? and she never eats the pizza....
While it's always difficult to resist that perky little porker, Olivia, it's impossible now that she's visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Venice. Yes, sporting a gondolier's hat with its ribbons flying she's about to take that storied spot by storm. (almost literally).
As most know by now Ian Falconer has created one of the most appealing children's book characters to be found. Olivia,along with her brother, Ian, and their mother and father have shared many adventures – fr...more
Sep 18, 2012
Courtney Miles
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-storybooks
This was a humorous book. Falconer tells the story of a little pig, Olivia, that travels to Venice with her family. While she is there she visits museums, takes a gondola ride, and eats lot of gelato. Before Olivia leaves, she destroys the tower in San Marco piazza. Falconer tells this story in a humorous way that people of all ages can enjoy.
The illustrations in this book were a combination between drawings, paintings and photographs. It was really interesting to see all the combinations of the...more
The illustrations in this book were a combination between drawings, paintings and photographs. It was really interesting to see all the combinations of the...more
This was another cute installment in the Olivia series, though it lacked some of the magic the first few had for me. I loved the families obsession with gelato and Falconer's use of real images throughout the story. And I was laughing out loud after only one page. Yet, the illustrations were too cluttered and didn't have the gorgeous, balanced qualities of earlier books. My biggest complaint was the lack of realism in parts of the story. I love Falconer's series because he just shows how spunky...more
This will be a no-brainer addition to Olivia collections.
But I have to admit that I was a little let down with this latest installment. One of the things that I loved about the earlier Olivia's were the sparse illustrations Olivia's wit.
Olivia Goes to Venice incorporates photographs and much more color than we are used to in other Olivia stories. My fear is that this was a response to the new audience that the TV show has acquired and that they may not get (or appreciate) Mr. Falconer's earlier...more
But I have to admit that I was a little let down with this latest installment. One of the things that I loved about the earlier Olivia's were the sparse illustrations Olivia's wit.
Olivia Goes to Venice incorporates photographs and much more color than we are used to in other Olivia stories. My fear is that this was a response to the new audience that the TV show has acquired and that they may not get (or appreciate) Mr. Falconer's earlier...more
I thought perhaps with Olivia finding her way to television, we would see a downfall in the books. The latest Olivia tale proves that theory wrong. Falconer hasn't missed a beat in capturing all the beauty and splendor of Italy as well as of Olivia!
The mixed media illustrations give you a wonderful glimpse into this fine country as well as depicting all of the joys that come with family vacations. I love the bit about always needing a gelato! It was making me hungry for some!
Check out Olivia’s l...more
The mixed media illustrations give you a wonderful glimpse into this fine country as well as depicting all of the joys that come with family vacations. I love the bit about always needing a gelato! It was making me hungry for some!
Check out Olivia’s l...more
Okay, Falconer's illustrations are absolutely mesmerizing. They are fantastic, delicious, wonderful. But... I really don't like these Olivia books. She's sarcastic, which doesn't ring well with little ones, and she's naughty. I hated that in this book, Olivia pulled a brick out of the bell tower, and her parents didn't stay to face the consequences of a tumbling monument, but instead fled. Okay, I know this is just a story, but I can't stand it when the parents don't stand up for what is right....more
This was another fabulous title from Ian Falconer, who shares his cool sense of style, art and now travel with young children. This is a gorgeous travel guide from the eyes of an eager and happy child, wandering one of the most beautiful cities in the world. "Olivia Goes to Venice" can easily be paired with a non fiction title on Venice, Italy, giving children more opportunities to get to know such an historic town full of life and art. As usual, Olivia's day tripping is full of her unique brand...more
This is my first Olivia book. I bought it for my niece who is going to Europe this summer. We have been reading some other children’s books about travel so I thought we’d give this one a try. While it did keep the attention of my niece, I was not as impressed as I thought I would be. I honestly did not care for the illustrations very much and I also did not like the fact that Olivia took the stone from the Bell Tower. There really was no consequence for her action and it is not something I think...more
Okay, I'm a glutton for punishment. I find Olivia immensely irritating, so it took me a while to get to this book. I love Venice, so the rationale was, they'd even out. Well, they did! I was actually finding the story quite charming as Olivia's family journeyed through the narrow streets and grand spaces of Venice but then Olivia does something I don't find to be funny, but rather, kind of appalling. I don't even think I'll read this to my son because he can't think that what she (and subsequent...more
I love everything about Olivia, from her little-girl tendencies to her little-pig habits! She is remarkable for so many things: suggesting a trip to Venice, of all places; getting the family to follow her lead; her knowledge of "gelato"; how does she know so much? Why is she so endearing? I think maybe it is due to the stunning illustrations, the background images of Venice, her comical self super-imposed on them, and her astonishing persona super-imposed on all of it! So glad Olivia is back, an...more
Olivia Goes to Venice is another delightful tale from Ian Falconer. Olivia travels to Venice with her family and experiences many of the main tourist attractions. Her favorite attraction is the gelato!
I found myself drawn to the unique illustrations. Olivia and her family are simply drawn, primarily using the colors black, red, and white. The attractions of Venice are detailed paintings that are so realistic they could almost be mistaken for photographs. The combination is a unique experience.
I found myself drawn to the unique illustrations. Olivia and her family are simply drawn, primarily using the colors black, red, and white. The attractions of Venice are detailed paintings that are so realistic they could almost be mistaken for photographs. The combination is a unique experience.
A friend's 6 yr old daughter picked this out at the library..... and it is the WORST KID's Book EVER!!!!! I thought my friend was adding things, like Olivia's tone, her snottiness, and bad attitude.... but NO... that is how this character really is. I don't know if ALL the Olivia books are this bad, but it sure made me want to warn all my friends and their kids off of them. If you want to be horrified.... pick it up and read a little. Absolutely NOT what a kid's book should be!
This is a poor attempt at making Italian culture accessible to children. Although the images of Venice are eye-catching, making the illustrations creative, the story is truly horrible, in my opinion. When I read this story to my kindergarten class, their blank faces and confused interpretations of the story were all that was needed for me to lose complete respect for this book. This book is a perfect example of how publishers can exploit popular characters to make some money.
Nov 01, 2010
Kathryn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books,
travel
I love the concept here! Olivia travels to Venice with her family and sees all sorts of famous sights--Falconer uses collage style to put illustrations of Olivia et al at actual photographs or famous illustrations of places like Piazza San Marco and Bridge of Sighs. So cool! And he doesn't sacrifice one ounce of Olivia's personality in the process of bringing Venice to the palm of our hands. Brilliant! Now, I must say I was not especially happy with the way Olivia left Venice and I wish there ha...more
3 likes · like · see review
Dec 23, 2011
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
This is a fun story featuring the lovable piglet Olivia. I love the juxtaposition of the cartoonish illustrations with the realistic background scenes of Venice. And the narrative is humorous. But I was a bit horrified by the ending - our girls were quick to point out that Olivia should not have removed a stone from the bell tower. Overall, it was an entertaining story and we enjoyed reading it together.
Ok, I'll admit it. I might have loved this book (and added a star) simply because I spent part of my incredible honeymoon in Venice. That said, I thought that Falconer perfectly captured Venice (especially the scene where Olivia and her family come through the dark archway onto Piazza San Marco), and also really paid careful attention to what children see and how they feel about traveling and new experiences. Sweet book--potentially a lot of fun as a read aloud.
Genre: Modern Fantasy combined with Realistic Fiction
Age: 3-7
Summary: In this story by Ian Falconer, Olivia and her family take a trip to Venice, Italy. They eat gelato, see the Grand Canal, the Piazza San Marco, take a ride on a gondola, and eat more gelato. The book is full of real images of these famous places in Italy.
Reflection: I love this story, so do my boys. The illustrations mixed with real photographs are amazing!
Age: 3-7
Summary: In this story by Ian Falconer, Olivia and her family take a trip to Venice, Italy. They eat gelato, see the Grand Canal, the Piazza San Marco, take a ride on a gondola, and eat more gelato. The book is full of real images of these famous places in Italy.
Reflection: I love this story, so do my boys. The illustrations mixed with real photographs are amazing!
This is my first look at a book featuring Olivia, so from that stand point I don't know the character that well. I did find the photographs of Venice visually attractive and highlighted some of the major tourist sites. However, I did not seem to get the story and especially the ending. It seemed to fall flat to me. I think I will give one of the other titles a try, as I know normally this author gets good reviews.
I love Olivia. She is smart, funny, and mischievious. Ian Falconer's illustrations are fantastic. But I think in this particular book, he has fallen far short of his usual brilliance. None of the usual humor was there. The pictures of Venice were nice, but I like the simpler illustrations from past books. I guess in general, for me, while this book is entertaining, it just doesn't measure up to previous Olivia books.
1 like · like · see review
I did not like this book. I do not believe there is any value in a book that ends with Olivia taking a piece of history (stone from the Bell Tower) that ends in disaster. I did not see the humor in the story. I do not believe there is any valuable lesson in this story, nor did I find it humorous. This will not be a story I will read to my daughter.
I'm a fan of Olivia, but I have to say that this is not my favorite. The artwork is lovely, as always. And Olivia is in character. But the voices and story seem to take a back seat to the scenes of Venice, which is unfortunate. Venice is a lovely city, but in a children's book, I'm in it more for the story and voices than the photographic delights.
Oct 19, 2010
The Library Lady
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
overrated-crap,
picture-books
Olivia goes right up there with "Eloise" in the "Characters That I Am Supposed To Find Charming Who Nauseate Me" category.
Adding the travelogue aspect doesn't add to this. In fact, it may put me off reading Donna Leon's books for a while. And I really LIKE Donna Leon....
Adding the travelogue aspect doesn't add to this. In fact, it may put me off reading Donna Leon's books for a while. And I really LIKE Donna Leon....
This is a great book to do a lesson on predicting. We can use this book to ask our students questions like: what do you think the character will do next. This book also is a great read-aloud to read to any grade level. These books are also wonderful to do a character study activity since there are many Olivia books and students can come up with many different things Olivia likes to do, etc. Great book for talking about different cities and geography which related to Social Studies.
What better way to begin a story time on travelling to Europe than to join Olivia as she packs, goes through airport security, and anticipates pizza and gelato all the way there? This story was a delight to read-aloud. What travelling parent can't relate to Olivia's mom? (asides of this nature get chuckles from the adults in the crowd).
I don't know if it's the "You had to be there" syndrome, but I found the inky cartoon characters paired with the antiqued-looking Venetian scenes to be quite endearing.
I also appreciated Olivia's philosophy that one can never eat too much gelato. (Although I bet she didn't order the egg-flavored one. It was memorable, that's for sure.)
I also appreciated Olivia's philosophy that one can never eat too much gelato. (Although I bet she didn't order the egg-flavored one. It was memorable, that's for sure.)
Nov 09, 2010
Kristin Fletcher-spear
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-book
I did not like many things about this book. I love Olivia and I liked the usage of photography. I didn't like the destruction at the end and the parents' reaction to it. When it came to the souvenir that she was selecting I thought Falconer missed things to showcase about Venice (and come on, Olivia would have loved to have a mask!)
I have just read Olivia Goes to Venice, which i am giving to my
granddaughter Sophia for Christmas. What a delightful book! The
real photos of Venice are the backdrop for Olivia and her family as
they wander Venice and its canals. Venice will never be the same.
Olivia consumes many gelatos. WHat a wonderful book!
PICTURE STORY BOOK
I loved this book! I haven't read any of the Olivia books before, and this one definitely made me want to read all of them! The illustrations are done very well, and they do a great job of conveying Olivia's enthusiasm and liveliness. The story itself is very witty, and the humor appeals to adults as well as children. In the story, there is a running joke about gelato; every time Olivia runs into a problem she resorts to eating more gelato. Because they are in Italy, this would...more
I loved this book! I haven't read any of the Olivia books before, and this one definitely made me want to read all of them! The illustrations are done very well, and they do a great job of conveying Olivia's enthusiasm and liveliness. The story itself is very witty, and the humor appeals to adults as well as children. In the story, there is a running joke about gelato; every time Olivia runs into a problem she resorts to eating more gelato. Because they are in Italy, this would...more
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Ian Falconer is the author and illustrator of all the titles in the bestselling Olivia series: Olivia, Olivia Saves the Circus,Olivia...and the Missing Toy, and Olivia Forms a Band. His illustrations have also graced many covers of the New Yorker. In addition, he has designed sets and costumes for the New York City Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, and the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), among o...more
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