Olivia Claus by Kama Einhorn, illustrated by Jared Osterhold.
2010. 24 pgs. New York, NY: Simon Spotlight. 9781442406629. Format reviewed: Hardcover.
Annotation: When Olivia
can’t find her toy monkey, she imagines what she’d do as Santa Claus- return
all the things people lost over the year!
Reaction: Even when
Christmas day arrives, without her beloved toy monkey Mathilda, Olivia can’t
enjoy herself. The story expresses the bonds children have with their toys
which adults don’t always appreciate or tolerate. Even wishing Santa Claus
would find missing items and gives the items back shows the devotion she has
for the monkey—new toys don’t have any appeal. Based on the popular book and
television series, many children are already familiar with the characters
featured.
Primary early literacy skills:
Narrative skills. We see early on that Olivia’s dog has stolen and hidden the
toy monkey. As a reader, we anticipate when Olivia will discover this. It also
poses an interesting question: what would you do if you were Santa Claus? This
opens the door for dialogic reading, as well as for children to recount when
they couldn’t find a beloved toy or object.
Recommended ages: Ages 3
and older.
Tags/themes: Pigs,
Christmas, Families, Gifts, Santa Claus, Missing Toys, Pets.
Additional Olivia titles: www.oliviathepiglet.com
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