Customer Reviews

Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We really enjoy the Olivia books. My 18mos. daughter can not get enough of her and the Olivia books are the first ones she goes for. The age range says 3-10 but are entertaining to all ages even 39yrs old!

As a parent, I've always been drawn to children's stories where the child is so silly that it makes my own children realize where they have the same weakness. When that happens, we laugh about the silly person in the story and assure one another that we would never be so silly. Naturally, such a self-drawn lesson is more powerful than one that comes from me.

Every child becomes obsessed about certain things. This book will make good reading for them. Hopefully, they will learn by seeing themselves in the piggish mirror of Olivia.

I was especially attracted to the 12 part cartoon on the end papers of the book that show Olivia using tape to get her favorite bear to sit up. That little wordless story nicely sets the stage for the main event within.

The opening page of the book provided me with enormous chuckles. I could barely stand to leave the page. Olivia is seated on a camel in front of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid with her toy. The caption is "One day Olivia was riding a camel in Egypt . . ." But it all turns out to be but a dream. When she awakes, her mother reminds he it's time for soccer practice that morning. The red-loving Olivia dislikes that her uniform comes in "a really unattractive green." Olivia asks her mom to make a red soccer shirt instead. Olivia's mom agrees, but Olivia finds waiting to be intolerable so she takes her toy bear out to play with the cat. Finally, the shirt is done . . . but horror of horrors, her toy is missing! She throws a fit and starts looking around. While playing the piano on the dark and stormy night, Olivia hears a noise and searches out the cause while carrying a large candelabrum. She finds her toy has been chew up by the dog, Perry! Her father appeases Olivia by offering to buy her another toy. But in the meantime, she fixed the toy and made it even more humorous than ever. Olivia swears off dog books as a result, but she eventually forgives Perry and lets him back into bed with her.

To me the strength of the story was the Olivia takes the initiative to solve the problem of her missing toy . . . and then doesn't hold a grudge. The message is that things happen, but we shouldn't take them too seriously if we can repair matters. That's a good lesson for us all.

I think this book will be even more amusing for low-key children who don't get easily upset as they see how another child might react.

I love you, Olivia!

This is my 2 1/2 year old's favourite Olivia book! Olivia does act out, yes ... but lets remember that 'real' children can be demanding and can be brats! My daughter knows that the behaviour is wrong which makes the book humorous to her. The uniform issue is amusing because we often encounter situations where a child insistently demands something, only to forget all about it in the next breath, leaving adults bewildered. Every Olivia story shows a bad side of her behaviour whether it is not cleaning her room, painting on a wall, fibbing to her class, or being demanding ... but kids get the humour! And we also see Olivia's good side --- forgiving the dog. This is what makes Olivia the pig a believable and loveable character! I hope parents will give this book a second look, and forget about the negative reviews!

After the first two books 'Olivia' and 'Olivia Saves the Circus' this story comes as a dissapointment. The wonderful art work and the wry humour are still there, but as others say the story is weak and disjointed.

Don't be discouraged the first two are still superb.

I bought this book sight unseen(taught me a lesson)for my granddaughters birthday. After receiving it in the mail I decided I better read it before giving it to her and I am sure glad that I did. This book starts out with Olivia wanting a different color uniform than the rest of her soccer team and then in mid-stride the story switches to her missing a toy. Very fractured and no closure to the uniform problem. Needless to say i am returning the book without ever letting my granddaughter know of its existence.

Olivia is "a brat"? Parents who wrote this are clearly not getting it! First of all, Olivia's character is based on the author's REAL DAUGHTER and on real events from her life. It DOES happen to kids that they are bratty, dissapointed, and demanding, it's HOW they and their parents RESOLVE these issues is what's important. Secondly, we know by now, that she is a strong-willed little pig who clearly knows what she wants, and what she wants is HER FAVORITE TOY! Mind you, she is not afraid to go to a dark room for it, neither she minds to saw it back together. AND she forgives the dog. AND there is this cutest comic strip! My son LOVES it! Even my Russian rendition...

Olivia is "a brat"? Parents who wrote this are clearly not getting it! First of all, Olivia's character is based on the author's REAL DAUGHTER and on real events from her life. It DOES happen to kids that they are bratty, dissapointed, and demanding, it's HOW they and their parents RESOLVE these issues is what's important. Secondly, we know by now, that she is a strong-willed little pig who clearly knows what she wants, and what she wants is HER FAVORITE TOY! Mind you, she is not afraid to go to a dark room for it, neither she minds to saw it back together. AND she forgives the dog. AND there is this this cutest comic strip! My son LOVES it! Even my Russian rendition...

"Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy" is about Olivia trying to find her toy and eventually found that her dog destroyed it. She sewed it back up and finally forgave the dog.

Positives:
1. Olivia did forgive her dog so it does 'somewhat' teach forgiveness.

Negatives:
1. Olivia is a brat and demanding. While searching for her toy she does not say please or ask nicely for help & she falsely accuses her baby brother.

2. It is very disjointed. The story begins with Olivia wanting a new soccer uniform that is a different color & the missing toy episode comes in about halfway through the story. The book does not return to or resolve the new soccer uniform part of the story.

I would not recommend this book & will not be reading it to my child.

I bought the book for my 1 year old before I had read it. I am quite the bookworm and am building up my daughter's collection of books. I was extrememly disapointed and will NOT be reading this book to my daughter. Olivia is demanding of her mother without even so much as a please, she yells at her brother, and is just otherwise, in a word, a BRAT.

I am just upset I didn't keep my receipt to take it back!

Like the reviewer a few before me, I was quite disappointed with this book. So too was my five-year-old daughter, an Olivia fan, who has yet to request this book at bedtime since the first time we read it to her on Christmas Day night.

With this book, Olivia turns from a precocious, engaging young pig to a self-absorbed brat. Most likely this will end up in our summer rummage sale.