As Olivia looks up at a Jackson Pollock painting in a museum, she quips that she could probably “do that in five minutes,” which can lead to a discussion on modern art.įrom dress-up to sandcastles, Olivia is bright and quick to learn, respectively “feeling it’s important to come prepared” and “becoming pretty good at it.” These are character traits that can kick off a conversation on creativity. It prompts us to discuss whether we even need to have a definition for art. Ian Falconer’s distinctive style of simple, monochromatic art can make for an engaging back-and-forth on what makes someone an artist what makes something a piece of artwork. Olivia also offers opportunities to discuss art and culture. Some philosophers point out that creativity always occurs in a context in fact, something is creative in a given field insofar as people who know that field judge it to be both new and valuable, opening up a whole bunch of new questions for discussion: What does it mean for a work of art to be good or valuable, who are the relevant experts that we need to consult, and so on. A modern economist might say that value is price a Marxist would say that value is socially necessary labor time someone else might say that a thing is valuable insofar as it is useful for attaining a goal. Some think that being creative means coming up with new and valuable stuff, which immediately raises some interesting questions about value. Olivia’s imaginative attempts to reproduce a Jackson Pollock painting on her living room wall can lead to an interesting philosophical discussion on the nature of creativity. Olivia features the irrepressible Olivia, a renaissance pig who is at once dancer, fashion designer, architect, artist, and big sister. Read aloud video by Storytime Bunnies Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion This beautifully-illustrated book offers the opportunity for a rich discussion of philosophical concepts including value, creativity, art, and curiosity. Olivia is a confident, strong-minded, and inexhaustible young girl who puts her own creative flair on a wide range of interests from ballet to sandcastles. Ian Falconer’s picture book Olivia features snippets of various days in the life of the piggy protagonist Olivia.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion » Summary Olivia explores philosophical notions of creativity, art, and moderation by following a spunky pig and her busy days.

Books by ian falconer