Customer Reviews

Tales of Oliver Pig: Level 2 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

TALES OF OLIVER PIG by Jean Van Leeuwen and illustrated by Arnold Lobel is 64 pages long. All of the pages contain text, and all of the pages contain one or two small illustrations, either 1/4th page size or 1/8th page size. The illustrations are like quaint pictures on your grandmother's china. The stippled linework, used as shading, is like that found on paper money (dollar bills). The colors are subtle and subdued. The pictures have black ink outlines of the various figures and objects, filled in with watercolors. Arnold Lobel is a real artist.

This is in contrast to the illustrations in another book by Jean Van Leeuwen (OLIVER & AMANDA AND THE BIG SNOW), where a different illustrator (A.S.) contributed the pictures. The pictures of A.S. could easily have been conceived, drawn, and colored, by a skilled high school student. But Arnold Lobel's illustration could be exhibited in an art gallery, or in an arts & crafts gallery.

The text of TALES OF OLIVER PIG consists mainly of conversation, with occasional bits of narration. The book begins with Mother Pig teaching Oliver how to bake oatmeal cookies. Everything done by the mother is imitated by Amanda Pig, who is still too young to speak. Amanda stirs a little bowl with a spoon, Amanda makes a dusty mess with flour, Amanda gets her own little pile of raisins. The second story has an additional character, Father Pig. Now, the reader gets a harsh dose of reality, in the form of arguments and crying. But the gentleness and softness, lack of overt emotion, in the illustration mitigates this reality. At any rate, Amanda Pig wants to play with one of Oliver's toy cars, but Oliver exclaims "NO!" Later, Amanda decides to look at one of Oliver Pig's books, but Oliver snatches it away, crying, "The books are mine!" (Any parent with little kids will learn that one of the first concepts that a toddler learns is the concept of possession, and the technique of exclaiming, "Mine!") Then, while Oliver is building a block tower, Amanda puts a block on the top, causing the tower to tumble down. That evening, Amanda Pig in a high chair refuses to eat. Then comes the turning point of this particular story. Oliver begins feeding his little sister, and Amanda accepts the food from Olvier. Oliver provides peas, spaghetti bits, and meatballs, and little Amanda accepts, and both toddlers laugh together.

There are three more charming stories in this book. In the 3rd story, Oliver Pig and his mother clean the house in preparation for a visit from Grandmother Pig. Mother Pig bakes a cherry pie, while Oliver Pig makes a raisin pie using a toy oven. (Apparently, Grandmother Pig is like Jimmy Neutron's father, in view of their mutual love for pies.) The 4th story concerns a snowstorm, where Oliver and Amanda struggle to put on jackets, boots, and mittens. But the children get so warm while dressing, that they take off these extra clothes and toss them on the floor, causing Mother Pig to get upset. The 5th story features Oliver Pig hiding from his father, in a hiding game, where the father pretends that he cannot find Oliver Pig. FIVE STARS for TALES OF OLIVER PIG.

My five year old loves to have this story read to him. He thinks the parts with the little sister are very funny. I imagine that is the attraction, but for whatever reason he delights in hearing it over and over and over again. It is a very cute book and I have gotten him others in the series as well. I read it for "company" the other night (a three year old) and she must have enjoyed it as well because the next time she went to the library she asked her mom to check it out for her. I don't think you can go wrong for the preschool/kindergarten crowd.

My 3-1/2 year olds loves me reading these books to her; and I love reading them to her. These quiet and reassuring stories are the perfect calming end to the day. Nothing much happens in these books but ordinary family life with a Oliver and his sister Amanda, who are pretty ordinary kids, and Mother and Father Pig, who are pretty darn good parents. But the stories are very well written and the drama (or lack thereof) is wonderfully portrayed. I am a huge fan of this series.

We got this from the library when my daughter was 2 1/2 years old. It's easy for her to remember and "read" on her own. She loved it so much, I got tired of re-renting it, so decided to buy the whole set. I looked everywhere for them too. Thank Heaven for Amazon!

In the book Tales of Oliver Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen you could learn you don't always get what you want. The author is trying to teach us that little kids can't always do what big kids and grown ups can dol. And that is hard for little kids.

Amanda can't jump like Oliver and she can't play with his toys. If you have a little brother or a little sister you should read this book because you'll learn to take better care of them.

If you like books about how brothers and sisters get along then this is the book for you.

This book is characterized as a Level Two reader, which is described as "reading together, short sentences, simple dialogue".
The stories are interesting and will engage the attention of young readers who love illustrated readers. I'd recommend this series to children who are beginning to develop some measure of independence in their reading and have completed the level one readers. It also makes an excellent read aloud for younger children.

Aimed at a first-grade reader, the Tales of Oliver Pig is unusual in that the illustrations are small. The pages, as a result, carry two-thirds text. The illustrations are almost monochromatic and subdued in mood. In this way, they match the quiet and relaxed narratives. Readers gain a vision of a peaceful domestic space filled with kind and loving characters. Mild disputes do occur, such as a fight between two siblings in the second tale, however the young pigs soon make up. Comic relief is provided by the youngest pig, whose dialog consists of one word, "gah." The stories place only small demands on the imaginations of readers; prosaic events, such as baking in the kitchen, make up entire tales. The notion of pigs acting like humans is the most unusual element in the book, yet even that is normative: the pink skin of the pigs reads as Caucasian.