Book review: ‘Olivia the Spy,’ preschoolers learn about the dangers of eavesdropping in adorable tale
"Olivie the Spy" by Ian Falconer. (Atheneum)
Parents need to know that "Olivia the Spy" is another winner in the picture book series starring an adorable pig. (Common Sense Media/TNS)
Parents need to know that Ian Falconer’s “Olivia the Spy” is another winner in the picture book series starring an adorable pig who often appears in a red-and-white striped onesie and tends to get into typical kid trouble. This time, after making a few mistakes around the house, she hears her mom complaining about her on the phone and spies on her parents to hear more. Ultimately, she hears a part of a conversation that leads her to believe she’s being sent to prison (her mom’s actually taking her to the ballet as a surprise). It’s a funny misunderstanding cleverly laid out, with a lesson not only for eavesdropping kids but also for complaining parents.
WHAT’S THE STORY?
In “Olivia the Spy,” the little pig messes up a couple of things at home: She splatters blueberries on the kitchen wall when she makes a smoothie (after insisting, “Mommy, I KNOW how to use the blender!”) and throws her red socks in the laundry and turns the family’s white shirts pink (after saying, “Mommy I KNOW how to work the washing machine!”). Then she overhears her mom on the phone telling Olivia’s aunt: “Oh, I wish there was somewhere I could send her until she develops some SENSE!” Curious about where she might be sent, Olivia decides to “investigate,” and starts hiding and listening when her mom’s talking to her dad or on the phone. After hearing part of a sentence in which her dad mentions “an institution,” Olivia’s convinced she’ll be sent to prison! It turns out, her mom is planning to surprise her by taking her to the ballet, where Olivia has another mishap when she goes through the wrong door and ends up onstage during the dance instead of in the restroom.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
This cute and funny Olivia adventure shows the dangers both of eavesdropping and of presuming you know how to do everything. It’s also a cautionary tale for parents who may complain a bit too loudly and often about their kids’ behavior and mistakes: The kids are often listening, and a negative rant can make them feel worried and insecure. But all of this is treated in the lightest possible way, with adorable Olivia “blending in” (becoming a lamp under a shade, a picture in a frame, part of a zebra rug) to “spy” on her parents to see what they’re saying about her.
The art shows Olivia’s range of emotions and on one page pictures her alone in a tall prison building topped with barbed wire. But there’s a comforting ending with Olivia in bed after the ballet, reading a Julia Child cookbook and offering to make up for spying by cooking for the family the whole next week. When her mom says, “Oh no you won’t!” Olivia answers in the familiar refrain, “MOMMY, I KNOW how to COOK!”
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 4 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Educational value: 3 out of 5
Positive messages: 5 out of 5
Positive role models: 4 out of 5
Violence and scariness: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
BOOK DETAILS
Author/Illustrator: Ian Falconer
Genre: Picture Book
Book type: Fiction
Publisher: Atheneum
Publication date: April 4, 2017
Number of pages: 40
