Olivia...and the Missing Toy

by Ian Falconer

Overview

The porcine recipient of a 2001 Calecott Honor Award makes her third appearance in a deliciously funny story that's sure to strike a chord in preschoolers everywhere. Olivia has one special toy that she adores -- a stuffed animal that she has tea with, and wheels around in a stroller, and takes everywhere. But one day it strangely... inexplicably...tragically!...vanishes. Olivia is completely distraught. Who is the culprit? Is it little brother William? Or baby Ian? Or maybe even Edwin the cat? All plead innocence. Then comes a dark and stormy night; Olivia hears a mysterious voice and, candelabra in hand, heads down the shadowy hall to investigate. Nervously, she enters a room, and there, before her, tail wagging, stands the villain!

Filled with all the suspense of a Daphne du Maurier novel, and all the humor of, well, Olivia herself, Ian Falconer's new picture book is sure to become as beloved as its predecessors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416917441
Publisher:	Gardners Books
Publication date:	10/02/2006
Series:	Olivia the Pig Series
Edition description:	NEW
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ian Woodward Falconer (1959–2023) was an author and illustrator of children’s books, including the beloved Olivia series, and a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created thirty covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications.

Ian Woodward Falconer (1959–2023) was an author and illustrator of children’s books, including the beloved Olivia series, and a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created thirty covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications.

Hometown:

New York, New York

Date of Birth:

August 25, 1959

Place of Birth:

Ridgefield, Connecticut

Education:

Studied art history at New York University and painting at Parsons School of Design and Otis Art Institute

Read an Excerpt

Olivia ... And The Missing Toy

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By Ian Falconer

Atheneum

Copyright © 2003

Ian Falconer
All right reserved.


ISBN: 0-689-85291-6

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Chapter One

"Where's my toy? It was right there on the bed. I just put it
there. I remember exactly. That's my best toy. I need it now!
Somebody took my best toy!"

Olivia looked everywhere -

under the rug,

under the sofa,

under the cat,

She asked her little brother, Ian,
"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY TOY?"

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Olivia ... And The Missing Toy
by Ian Falconer
Copyright © 2003 by Ian Falconer.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Ian Falconer's popular piglet makes a hilarious comeback in her third picture book -- a mystery to end all mysteries! After cajoling her mom into sewing a distinctive red shirt for the soccer team (Never mind that everyone else’s jersey is green!), the little trendsetter heads outside to play. But when she returns, she realizes that her "best toy" is missing. In highest dudgeon, Olivia launches a massive manhunt (make that pighunt) -- checking under the rug, under the sofa, even under the cat, and giving little brothers Ian and William the third degree. But the mystery remains unsolved until that dark and stormy night when an awful sound interrupts her piano practice. Holding a candelabra that casts spooky shadows on the wall, the plucky little piglet investigates -- and discovers the real culprit behind a closed door.

With Falconer’s trademark black, white, and red line illustrations and a storyline that underlines Olivia’s appealing can-do attitude, this new installment in the winning series is swine-tastically superb. Eat your heart out, Sherlock.

Matt Warner

In this, her third public appearance, she shows no sign of fatigue, despite spending the whole book in red-and-white-striped pajamas. The plot is slight—Olivia's BEST TOY was lost and is found—but New Yorker cartoonist Ian Falconer's spare charcoal drawings, splashed with Olivia's favorite fire-engine red, are as dryly amusing as ever.—Elizabeth Ward

The Washington Post

An artist who has done more than a dozen New Yorker covers as well as designing sets for the stage, Falconer has a witty and sophisticated eye; there are images in each of his books that can make you laugh with instant recognition. — Dwight Garner

The New York Times

The line-master is back . . . in perfect form. When Olivia's beloved stuffed toy disappears, the hunt proceeds in typical fashion as she falsely accuses her brothers and searches her house on a "dark and stormy night." She discovers that her dog has chewed the toy to bits. Never one to hold a grudge, she repairs the toy and forgives the offending pooch, who at book's end lies cuddled beside her in bed. This contains elements Falconer's readers love: endpapers that add a cunning fillip (Olivia's relationship with her toy), velvety monochromatic palette with accents of red and (in this entry) green, incisive characterization rendered with minimal line (the subtlest change in mother's expressions), photographic homage to a feminist icon (Martha Graham), adroit gatefold (revealing canine criminal), happy ending, and above all the ironic contrast established between subtle nuance and Olivia's over-the-top personality. Containing more full-bleed illustrations and less white space, it may not seem as elegantly designed. Yet what it sacrifices in design it gains in a more fully developed plot. The heightened atmosphere and melodrama suit Olivia just perfectly. (Picture book. 3+)

Kirkus Reviews