Where to Find Out About Olivia, Everyone's Favorite Children's Book Character

It's no surprise that the beloved Olivia books by Ian Falconer have won numerous awards. The Caldecott Honor Book and Parents' Choice Gold Award were just the first. Olivia books have been chosen as ALA Notable Children's Books, LA Times Best Books, Publisher's Weekly Best Books, Nick Jr. Best Books, the Booksense Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, and Falconer was chosen as Illustrator of the Year by the Children's Choice Book Awards.

Soon after the popularity for Olivia took off, a management firm took on the licensing of Olivia products. Plush dolls, and book and doll sets were only the beginning. Among the products licensed: Coloring, board, and activity books; posters and framed artwork; Italian charm bracelet links; wall and desk calendars; plush dolls; stationary, note cards, and Christmas cards; journals; magnets; fabric; a booklover kit and bookends; a cookie kit; t-shirts, shorts, capris, ruffled tops, jeans, socks and dresses; party supplies, and edible cake and cupcake toppers; lamps; a porcelain tea set; a plush and feathered mirror; tapes and DVDs; picture frames; a LeapFrog® Tag Kid Classic Storybook Olivia; boxed sets of various kinds; a Christmas ornament and more. Among the more unusual and obscure Olivia products are napkin cutlery wraps.

It was only a matter of time that Olivia would become the star of her own show. Following on the heels of the Nick Jr. Olivia TV show, comes DVDs, and several new books written by people OTHER than Ian Falconer, pop-up books, lift-the-flap books, coloring and sticker books, and more.

Olivia has become so popular that she has several websites: The Official Olivia the Pig website, the Play and Print with Olivia Nick Jr. Website, the Olivia the Pig Merchandise Story, Ian Falconer's web page on Simon & Schuster, and of course, Olivia is on Facebook, too. On these sites, you will find games, printable coloring pages, merchandise, information about the author, and more. If all this isn't enough Olivia for you, search for Olivia cake recipes, party theme ideas, and birthday games and activities.

One of the more interesting and heartwarming Olivia websites is OliviaPig.com. The home page describes the site as "a fun way for a father and daughter [named Olivia] to connect and enjoy each other's company." You can sign up for the newsletter, buy products, contact them, and watch episodes of their own Olivia-inspired show called, "The Olivia Squared TV Show," in which a real Olivia stars alongside the plush Olivia doll.

So, whatever is your Olivia fancy, there is something for everyone. Yet, despite the multitude of ways to experience Olivia, the picture books remain the best.

Sources:

wapedia, wiki:Ian Falconer: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Ian_Falconer