"Olivia" by Ian Falconer

This is a wonderful book. It is a story about Olivia and the things she likes to do. As a Caldecott Honor in 2001 it has gained a lot of recognition. I liked the illustrations because they were simple but portrayed the story well. It is very relatable not only for children but for adults too. As I was reading I realized a lot of times I was remembering times when my little brother copied me and was thinking of the things I liked to do when it was rainy. There aren't many words per page so it would keep children's interest throughout the entire story. The vocabulary isn't too difficult either so many children would be able to read this book on their own. This is a book that I can see myself using in the classroom. It could be used just for pleasure reading or for teaching children about routines and people's strengths and favorite things. I believe that it's an important lesson for children to know that everyone is good at something and that everyone has their own "favorites". I could read the book aloud to the class then have the students write an "Olivia" story about themselves, including things they're good at, their personal favorites, their families and their routines. These would be interesting to make into books and share them with the rest of the class. There are several other stories in the "Olivia" collection and I can definitely see myself reading them in the future.