Falconer, Ian (1959-2023), was an American artist and author known for his children’s books about a pig named Olivia. The 3-year-old Olivia is lively, intelligent, and filled with curiosity and self-confidence. Falconer created a distinctive visual style for the books. He drew the illustrations in black and white with splashes of bright red. He also wrote the stories. Falconer introduced Olivia in Olivia (2000), his first children’s book. The book was inspired by Falconer’s niece, also named Olivia. He also wrote Two Dogs (2022), which relates the adventures of two dachshund brothers after they get out of the house alone.
Falconer was born on Aug. 25, 1959, in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He studied art history at New York University and painting at the Parsons School of Design (now Parsons the New School for Design) and the Otis Art Institute (now Otis College of Art and Design). He also designed costumes and sets for ballets and operas and created covers for The New Yorker magazine. Falconer died on March 7, 2023.
