Review by New York Times Review
When Olivia pitches in on Christmas Eve, we can guess how things are going to turn out Falconer's clever illustrations - in charcoal, gouache and photo montage - tell us one thing while his story is telling us another: the title page shows the proud piglet offering blackened gingerbread men to her mother while smoke fills the kitchen. Olivia charms by throwing herself into whatever she does, be it skiing with enthusiasm off a sheer drop headfirst into snow or cutting off the top of the Christmas tree to make the perfect centerpiece.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [October 27, 2009]
Review by Booklist Review
It's not easy trying to keep Olivia occupied while she awaits Santa. The popular little pig burns some Christmas cookies, gets tangled in the tree lights, and throws herself in front of the fireplace when her father comes around with logs: Do you want to cook Santa? She tries to stay up on Christmas Eve, and she really does hear some scratching on the roof (a raccoon). There are presents on Christmas morning, though not all are successful. Then it's time to hit the slopes; aprés ski, it's hot soup and a roaring fire without fear of roasting Santa. Some of the antics here will be familiar, though most children don't go to ski lodges for Christmas. As in previous books, much of the humor here comes from the artwork, festively decorated not only in Olivia red but also holiday green, and featuring the myriad expressions Olivia keeps in her arsenal: pleased, displeased, very displeased, and outraged. A grand book to haul out around the holidays.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
More a succession of family anecdotes-in-the-making than a plot-driven story, the holiday installment of a much-loved series finds the adroitly accessorized piglet and her family decking the halls of a house in the country on Christmas Eve. Olivia, charged with "a very special job" (Mom-speak for interrupting the "Santa watch" Olivia and her younger brothers mount by the rain-streaked picture window), proudly shows off the table she has set by herself, topped with a decorated miniature tree: "Why, that's beautiful, darling. Where did you ever find that perfect little..." her mother beams; open the gatefold to see the rest of the room, where a saw and a stool stand next to the family's (decapitated) "...tree?" as the mother falteringly completes the question. Readers will claim other episodes as their own favorites; as usual, Falconer knows how to play pictures and text off each other to maximum comic impact. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Children who are familiar with this irrepressible pig will know what kind of help Olivia is likely to provide as her family prepares for the holiday. Her antics seem a little forced in this selection, but the dazzling illustrations, highlighted with green as well as Olivia's signature red, are as charming as ever; and the ending-a snowy Christmas-is quite satisfying. This is a good bet for family sharing.-Virginia Walter, University of California, Los Angeles (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Although interestingly agnostic on the subject of Santa, Olivia's latest disaster-prone caper otherwise wholeheartedly indulges in every (secular) Christmas motif: snow to be wished for, a tree to be decorated, lights to be untangled, stockings, presents, more presents, sledding -- and even a dream-Nutcracker starring you-know-who. Olivia is her customary impetuous self, and Falconer strikes a spirited balance in letting the words and pictures tell the story in turn, with a particularly lively use of photocollage adding wit to the pages. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Oh, Olivia. We thought Christmas at your house would be much more fun. Despite several amusing moments in this latest offering about Olivia the precocious pig, Falconer has neglected to fully develop the narrative line of the plot or to further Olivia's development as a distinct character. She participates in some holiday preparations with her usual flair, such as chopping off the top of the Christmas tree for a table decoration, but other incidents fall flat, as when Olivia struggles and falls while trying to use her new Christmas skis. In a rather cheap joke, she feeds blueberry pie to her baby brother, causing immediate blue vomit, which will of course provoke laughter from youngsters but has nothing to do with Christmas. Several gatefold pages extend the holiday happenings without adding much humor; the final spread adds some sparkle with Olivia's grandiose dream of a scene from The Nutcracker. Falconer's charcoal and gouache illustrations are clever, as always, though it's sometimes hard to distinguish between Olivia and her brother when they alternate between red and green clothing. The overall effect has neither Christmas cheer nor the satisfying, saucy humor of previous Olivia adventures. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
