Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer

  

‘One day Olivia was riding a camel in Egypt…’ What a great start to the story!  I am immediately interested. Why was she in Egypt riding a camel?  (I find out that she is asleep and dreaming), but I am now hooked into the story.

On the first page, are  the significant colours in the book. Red and green blocks of colour stand out in an otherwise all black and white picture. Olivia and her teddy are in colour (red and green) while the rest of the picture is in black and white. This colour scheme is used throughout the rest of the book and is important because they are representative of the soccer tops that Olivia had: the green one that she didn’t like, and the red one which she asked for. Questions could be asked of the students to whom the book is read: ‘What are the main colours in the illustrations? Why do you think these colours are used?’

Olivia loses her best toy!!  Suspense is created that night in an eerie setting as Olivia practices her piano. There is a storm and the illustration also shows that it is dark and that the only light is created from the lightening itself and the candles on the piano. The next page shows that from the shadow there is a creature that has sharp teeth! The page is a double page and when you turn the flap over, there is the dog who has chewed the toy to pieces. The text and the illustration state and show this together-very obviously the climax of the book.

Towards the end of the story, Olivia is angry with the dog for chewing up her toy, even though she sewed it back together as best she could. But there is sweet resolve at the end when they all end up asleep on her bed together.

This story is for junior primary aged children.  They would be able to relate to having a toy and understanding what a ‘best’ toy is.

Children could bring in their ‘best’ toys to show and explain who gave the toy to them and why it is their best toy. They may be able to write about their best toy in a narrative where the best toy and they have an adventure together. They could turn this into a play.

 

 ISBN: 0-689-85291-6

 The official Olivia the Pig website (with things to do): www.oliviathepiglet.com/ 

                               

 

                                                Alex