fVisual Analysisof a Picture Book

By: Kate StrebigJune 2007

OliviaBy: Ian Falconer

Who is Ian Falconer? Born and raised in Connecticut

Has enjoyed art since childhood

After college in New York, Ian moved to Los Angeles

Worked with painter David Hockney

Created costume and set designs for the Los Angeles Opera and San Francisco Opera

Moved back to New York and continued to create stage designs primarily for the New York City Ballet and the Boston Ballet

Worked for The New Yorker magazine…creating about 24 different covers

Created a Christmas present for his niece, Olivia, that turned out to be the inspiration for the Olivia series

This is the page I have chosen to analyze from Olivia.

The movement is amazing on this page. I believe the straight horizontal and vertical lines were deliberately placed to guide my eye in certain directions on this page.

The straight horizontal lines first move my eye from left to right. I feel movement in the water as well as the clouds moving in

the sky.

My eyes then follow the straight vertical lines from the bottom of the page to the top. I feel like my eyes want the skyscraper to keep moving up, beyond the page.

The skyscraper also has a darker value on the left side. The darkness makes it seem quite towering and a dominate figure. Yet, this huge presence only gives off the slightest shadow.

After looking at the magnificent skyscraper my eye is then drawn to Olivia sitting in the corner. The small use of the color

red helps to guide my eye downward. Olivia seems so very unimpressed with what she has created. It is as if this is

something she accomplishes everyday. She is looking down somewhat hunched over and is working with a lump of sand. This lump of sand seems as if it would be what a “regular”

five-year old would create. Mom and brother seem unimpressed as well. I think they are thinking,

“Yes, that’s our Olivia.”

On other pages in the book, Olivia, my eye is often taken immediately to the color red. On this particular page, my eye does not go first to the small bit of red that is used on the page but rather it goes there last. I think the illustrator intended for our eye to go to Olivia after noticing what she created. She seems so small in comparison to the tower. Although… this tiny Olivia and the small use of red speaks volumes! It reminds us where the main focus needs to be…on Olivia!

Ian Falconer uses a minimalist approach with his illustrations and text. This is not often seen in children’s literature. His work has been described as simple yet the character he creates is so complex. The only hues used in this Olivia book are red, black and white. There is a lot variety in the use of achromatic colors. Ian creates his illustrations by drawing them with charcoal and gouache. Ian’s style was inspired by the illustrations of Dr. Seuss.

The text throughout Olivia is simple. The text seems to move around the illustrations. I learned that Ian Falconer creates his illustrations first and then will add text. He believes this is how children begin the process of reading: pictures first, then words. The word count is minimal in this children’s book. I believe the illustrations tell most of the story. The text is located in different areas, it is not restricted to only the top or bottom. Sometimes text is between two characters that are talking or it is scattered strategically throughout the page.

Olivia Saves the Circus

By: Ian Falconer

This is the second illustration I will analyze.

This page has a heavy use of horizontal lines to take the reader’s eye from left to right. It seems I can just follow the ground line on the left to the lines of the desk. The lines of the desk draw my eye to Olivia. After Olivia I return to the ground line. I find the break in the ground line interesting. I stop to read the text then I follow the line right off the page.

You will notice that Olivia is the center of attention on this page. The teacher is looking directly at Olivia. The student’s head are facing her as well. Olivia is looking at them with a smile on her face as she tells about her vacation. Olivia is wearing a fabulous outfit that has been accessorized with the color red. The students are required to wear uniforms of black and white but Olivia decides to take it up one notch! It seems she has written her name on the board just in case the splashes of red were not enough to make the students or the reader notice her.

Many items on this page have been given value through darker shades of black. The chalkboard is so dominant with it’s pitch black color. Then a stark contrast with Olivia’s white head and red bows.

I notice that in the Olivia books that only Olivia or her belongings have the privilege of using the color red. This use of color helps to make the reader aware of Olivia’s importance!

The text on the analysis page and throughout the book isagain simple as in the book Olivia. The placement of the text varies. At times the text is simply at the top or bottom and other times placed in the illustrations. The text can also be on a page without any illustrations. After reading only the illustrations I do feel like the illustrations alone could tell the story.

The simple text makes the book so amusing to read because it is not bogged down with heavy wording.

Bibliographic Information

Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York: Atheneum Books, 2000.

Falconer, Ian. Olivia Saves the Circus. Atheneum Books, 2001.

Horning, Kathleen. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997.

Online Resourceswww.simonsays.com

www.teachingbooks.net

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.kidsreads.com

www.childrenslit.com