Olivia premieres Monday, January 26 at 11:30am (ET/PT) only on Nick Jr.
While I may not have kids, I do know a good children’s show when I see one. Olivia is one of those shows. Based on the children’s books by Ian Falconer, this half-hour computer animated series is pleasant to watch. And there’s plenty to enjoy and learn along the way.
Olivia is an imaginative, energetic, and playful young girl who likes to go on adventures. These adventures may be pretend at times, but to Olivia and her friends they become instant reality. And why not? Isn’t being a kid about playing pretend?
Olivia has a pesky younger brother, Ian (hey, that’s my name!), who likes to hedge his way into Olivia’s fun and games despite her objections. Ian and Olivia do argue a bit as siblings, but it’s never mean-spirited and their attentive and caring parents help resolve any conflicts or issues.
Each episode in the series contains two stories. In the episode I previewed, which was episode three of the series, the two stories were “Olivia Measures Up” and “Olivia Plays Hotel.” Both stories deal with Olivia and Ian and their differences as siblings.
In the first story, Olivia wants to grow but isn’t, while Ian and others around her are. Olivia learns that everyone grows at their own pace, and even if Ian grows to be taller than she is, she’ll still be his older sister.
The second story involves a snow storm, imagination, and Ian wanting to be included in Olivia and her friends’ games. We learn that sometime letting everyone play is better than leaving one person out.
I was quite impressed by the animation. It’s fluid, has depth, and the characters and their clothing have dimension and textures.
Olivia and her family and friends inhabit a happy and congenial world of problem-solving, cooperation, and fun. I highly recommend this series to parents of children who are looking for an engaging and colorful series that teaches life lessons and values.
Olivia earns an A in my book. True to the books, and teaches ideals children should learn and grow with.
For more on Olivia, visit the Nick Jr. website.
My daughter loves Olivia! She’s turning 3 and her party theme is Olivia. I wanted to paint Olivia’s life lessons on the goody bags. Is there some where I can find a list of her life lessons she speaks of on her show?
Check out http://www.nickjr.com/ as a good place to start your search. They have the official home page for the series.