What do you think?
Rate this book
Olympig!
Just in time for the Olympics, a spirited, sporty romp about losing gracefully
Boomer the Pig has been training hard for the Animal Olympics, so when he loses his first race, he shrugs it off and cheerfully moves on. One event after another, Boomer keeps losing, and the frustration begins to get to him. But even after coming in last in every sport, there's no getting this Olympig down. It's just great practice for the Winter Games!
Cool comic book styling combines with classic picture book heart in this encouraging and hilarious story for every kid who's ever been told "you can't win 'em all."
Boomer the Pig has been training hard for the Animal Olympics, so when he loses his first race, he shrugs it off and cheerfully moves on. One event after another, Boomer keeps losing, and the frustration begins to get to him. But even after coming in last in every sport, there's no getting this Olympig down. It's just great practice for the Winter Games!
Cool comic book styling combines with classic picture book heart in this encouraging and hilarious story for every kid who's ever been told "you can't win 'em all."
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2012
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
July 23, 2024
*4.25
July 26, 2012
I didn't like this book quite as much as I hoped I would. The lessons brought forth in the story-- perseverance, taking pride in oneself, practicing for improvement-- are all valuable, but the writing just felt a little fractured. The illustrations, however, did make me smile, especially Boomer's outrageous gymnastics ensemble. A fun "once" read, but not one I would add to my permanent collection.
July 26, 2012
I think the moral here was supposed to be something like, "As long as you keep trying, you're always a winner," but it came off more like, "It's okay to continuously suck at life and never improve as long as you're cheerful about it." I've seen one-page Nike ads that were more inspirational.
I don't think the Animal Olympics have qualifying trials, or this slow, clumsy, hopeless hero would have been laughed out of the competition.
I don't think the Animal Olympics have qualifying trials, or this slow, clumsy, hopeless hero would have been laughed out of the competition.
August 16, 2016
A hilarious book to talk about and celebrate the summer Olympics! It would be great if there was a sequel for the winter Olympics.
September 1, 2021
Was not a fan of the humor or illustration style.
October 9, 2014
This book completely surpassed my expectations. I opened the book expecting a decently fun and predictable story about overcoming trials. What I got was a hysterical story that had me literally laughing out loud and had a nice ending that I wasn't expecting. The story follows Boomer, the first pig to ever compete in the Animal Olympics. Boomer is sure that he will win because he has been training hard. However, when the events start, he finds that he is not as good as he thought. He's publicly humiliated and almost gives up, until he learns that it's not about winning, but about believing in yourself. This sounds pretty cheesy and stereotypical (and admittedly, it is) but Victoria Jamieson writes in such a fun way that you don't mind as a reader. Her writing is so fresh and witty that even a predictable plot line such as this feels new and interesting.
Jamieson's illustrations are wonderful throughout the picture book. Her drawings are very colorful and cartoonish, which help bring the absurdity of the story to life. She also frequently uses speech bubbles with extra dialogue in addition to the main text to add side notes and characterization to the story. The book is wonderful to read aloud, because the characters speak so distinctly and are so over the top. The author's attention to detail in her illustrations, while drawing over exaggerated features make the pictures fun to look at and make the story leap off the page.
Why I gave this book 5 stars, however, was because of how incredibly funny it was. I nearly woke my roommate from laughing so hard at this book. The story is over the top and will be really funny for kids, but it also has a lot of subtle humor thrown in for adults. Parents and children alike should love this book, as it has an inspirational message and is just all around really fun to read. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages who enjoy laughing and a good story.
Jamieson's illustrations are wonderful throughout the picture book. Her drawings are very colorful and cartoonish, which help bring the absurdity of the story to life. She also frequently uses speech bubbles with extra dialogue in addition to the main text to add side notes and characterization to the story. The book is wonderful to read aloud, because the characters speak so distinctly and are so over the top. The author's attention to detail in her illustrations, while drawing over exaggerated features make the pictures fun to look at and make the story leap off the page.
Why I gave this book 5 stars, however, was because of how incredibly funny it was. I nearly woke my roommate from laughing so hard at this book. The story is over the top and will be really funny for kids, but it also has a lot of subtle humor thrown in for adults. Parents and children alike should love this book, as it has an inspirational message and is just all around really fun to read. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages who enjoy laughing and a good story.
August 20, 2012
"Olympig!" by Victoria Jamieson is the story of Boomer the pig. It's also a story of determination and desire. And hard work and practice. And it's a story about reality.
Boomer is determined to win at the Animal Olympic Games. When the newsman, Mr. Hamstring, interviews Boomer, he asks, "The other animals in the Olympics will be faster and stronger than you. Tell me, Boomer, how can you possibly win a gold medal tomorrow?"
Boomer, full of determination, replies, "Oh, I'm sure I will win! If you practice and try your best, you can do anything!"
Of course, Boomer is a pig. The contenders in the race include a greyhound, a hare, a cheetah, and a zebra. They don't just leave Boomer in the dust -- the dust is faster than Boomer. Undaunted, Boomer continues on to the next event.
No surprise that the elephant is able to lift more weight than Boomer, And the flying squirrel is able to pole vault higher than Boomer. The gorilla is better at wrestling, and Boomer loses at hurdles and boxing, too.
The next event is one at which Boomer is sure he can excel. Sadly, the judges don't like his performance at that event either. Boomer quits.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/olympi...
Boomer is determined to win at the Animal Olympic Games. When the newsman, Mr. Hamstring, interviews Boomer, he asks, "The other animals in the Olympics will be faster and stronger than you. Tell me, Boomer, how can you possibly win a gold medal tomorrow?"
Boomer, full of determination, replies, "Oh, I'm sure I will win! If you practice and try your best, you can do anything!"
Of course, Boomer is a pig. The contenders in the race include a greyhound, a hare, a cheetah, and a zebra. They don't just leave Boomer in the dust -- the dust is faster than Boomer. Undaunted, Boomer continues on to the next event.
No surprise that the elephant is able to lift more weight than Boomer, And the flying squirrel is able to pole vault higher than Boomer. The gorilla is better at wrestling, and Boomer loses at hurdles and boxing, too.
The next event is one at which Boomer is sure he can excel. Sadly, the judges don't like his performance at that event either. Boomer quits.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/olympi...
February 11, 2015
Opening-
Show back cover of the book “Student look at this, the back cover of this book has a pig in the middle of a gold medal and below it is it says Athlete Extraordinaire? Look at the question mark and what is an extraordinaire anyway? (Children respond) The title of this book is The Triumphant Story of an Underdog Olympig! Using what we know from the back cover and the title what can we probably guess this story is going to be about? (Children respond) While we are reading this story I want you to be thinking about the sportsmanship and teamwork we have been talking about. At the end we will talk about some of the qualities and not so great of qualities the characters in this story show.”
Opening Moves-
*Foreshadow the problem of the story
*Draw attention to writers or illustrator’s craft
*Prompt predictions based on the title
Rationale-
I wanted to find a book that showed one character competing independently-not on a team. It is hard to be a good sport if you participate in an activity that you are competing against yourself. This book does a great job of showing how Boomer could just give up and throw a fit (being a poor sport) but instead he takes his loses and looks at them as practice for the winter Olympics!
Show back cover of the book “Student look at this, the back cover of this book has a pig in the middle of a gold medal and below it is it says Athlete Extraordinaire? Look at the question mark and what is an extraordinaire anyway? (Children respond) The title of this book is The Triumphant Story of an Underdog Olympig! Using what we know from the back cover and the title what can we probably guess this story is going to be about? (Children respond) While we are reading this story I want you to be thinking about the sportsmanship and teamwork we have been talking about. At the end we will talk about some of the qualities and not so great of qualities the characters in this story show.”
Opening Moves-
*Foreshadow the problem of the story
*Draw attention to writers or illustrator’s craft
*Prompt predictions based on the title
Rationale-
I wanted to find a book that showed one character competing independently-not on a team. It is hard to be a good sport if you participate in an activity that you are competing against yourself. This book does a great job of showing how Boomer could just give up and throw a fit (being a poor sport) but instead he takes his loses and looks at them as practice for the winter Olympics!
July 20, 2012
Boomer is one determined pig. He's been training hard for the Summer Olympics, and his friends and family are on hand to see him take his best shot at winning a gold, silver or bronze medal. When sports commentator Mr. Hamstring interviews him in annoying fashion throughout the book, Boomer displays a positive attitude even while losing in event after event. Readers are probably expecting Boomer to win at least one event, but he doesn't, putting the lie to the saying that "If you practice and try your best, you can do anything!" But what redeems this book from being like so many other books filled with hopeful messages are the acrylic illustrations filled with cartoonish pigs whose facial expressions are priceless and the fact that even after those devastating losses, Boomer just makes plans to train for the Winter Olympics. You almost have to love and admire Boomer since he just enjoys the competition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2018
This is a funny book, lots and lots of puns and very silly illustrations, but at the same time, I do wish that Boomer'd succeeded in something. He's irrepressibly optimistic, even in the face of repeated failures and at the end, he's only gearing up for the Winter Olympics? Funny last page, but still wish it had a little something more to bring home the "don't give up and you'll succeed" sort of lesson. Even Slimey the Worm won a medal for the Winter Worm Games for the most falls. Still, there were other good messages about temper tantrums and sportsmanship, and about parents still proud of you even if you don't come in first.
Used in a storytime on the Olympics, but would also fit well with a pig theme. The kids found it silly, watching the pig take on the other animals. And the high drama tone of the book and silly characters allow tons of opportunity for silly voices.
Used in a storytime on the Olympics, but would also fit well with a pig theme. The kids found it silly, watching the pig take on the other animals. And the high drama tone of the book and silly characters allow tons of opportunity for silly voices.
October 3, 2012
Boomer the pig won't give up. He is going to participate in the animal olympics and is very confident that he is going to win a gold medal. As the the first pig to enter these olympics, the media is all over the story. They want to know why Boomer won't give up after he keeps losing each event. Boomer does have one weak moment where he throws in the towel but quickly turns that negative into more positive thoughts. This is a very inspirational story of persistence. I think mid to upper elementary students would like this book because of the cute illustrations and the idea of not giving up (they are at a very vulnerable age).
Jamieson, V. (2012). Olympig!. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Jamieson, V. (2012). Olympig!. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Read
November 9, 2018Genre: Sports, Animals
Ages: 2-8
Reading Level: 1st-3rd
This book would be perfect to use before the Olympics or any other major sporting event. We would read the story and discuss how the pig felt before, during, and after his events. We would talk about what it means to do your best and why practicing is important but also how we would feel if we did all that and still did not win. We would think of times that we practiced hard and tried our best but may not have come in first or even second. We would draw pictures of us practicing something we love and emphasize that we may not always win but we can always do our best. We could even do a mini Olympics at the end of the unit where we pick several Olympic sports and try them ourselves!
Ages: 2-8
Reading Level: 1st-3rd
This book would be perfect to use before the Olympics or any other major sporting event. We would read the story and discuss how the pig felt before, during, and after his events. We would talk about what it means to do your best and why practicing is important but also how we would feel if we did all that and still did not win. We would think of times that we practiced hard and tried our best but may not have come in first or even second. We would draw pictures of us practicing something we love and emphasize that we may not always win but we can always do our best. We could even do a mini Olympics at the end of the unit where we pick several Olympic sports and try them ourselves!
May 15, 2019
Miss 4 thought it was okay (she wasn't fond of the mean tv presenter). The first pig to join the animal Olympics has been accepted for his sheer perseverance (rather than talent). He's not as fast as a cheetah, or as strong as an elephant, and the gorilla can definitely out wrestle him. It's a story about giving it your all anyway and being loved by family.
Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
November 27, 2012
I love that Boomer the pig starts off by saying, "If you practice and try your best, you can do anything!" only to find that while, yes, we say it all the time, it's not totally true. He can't beat the jaguar in a running race. He's not built for the long jump or the hurdles. He finally completely loses it and quits. But his mom still loves him. So he comes back to compete in the last event. He has the lowest score in history. But he decides it's great practice for the Winter Olympics. Not the emotionally satisfying ending I'd have liked, but fun nonetheless.
June 24, 2015
Boomer is a pig that wants to participate at the Animal Olympic Games. Finally, that day comes and he does his best, however he looses every time. Even when Boomer is discourage and makes a tantrum, he realizes that he must not quit. So, he performs his last routine and makes many mistakes. But still, Boomer thinks this has been a very good practice for the Winter Olympic Games.
I enjoyed reading this book, and the pictures are beautiful, however I think it contains many negative and discouraging messages.
I enjoyed reading this book, and the pictures are beautiful, however I think it contains many negative and discouraging messages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2015
Preschooler says, "The pig was angry. He was bad. But he said sorry so it's ok."
I enjoyed reading this book. The story isn't about achieving and winning, it's about being okay whether you win or lose. After failing at every competition, Pig has a fit - which every parent can relate to - but his mom says she loves him anyhow. I could tell my preschooler thought hard about that idea.
Bonus: the art is cute, and all the wildly varying characters lend themselves to some really fun reading voices.
I enjoyed reading this book. The story isn't about achieving and winning, it's about being okay whether you win or lose. After failing at every competition, Pig has a fit - which every parent can relate to - but his mom says she loves him anyhow. I could tell my preschooler thought hard about that idea.
Bonus: the art is cute, and all the wildly varying characters lend themselves to some really fun reading voices.
October 3, 2012
This book was a very cute book. I really enjoyed the meaning behind the book. I feel that if this were to be read to children they would see that you can do whatever you want if you just put your mind to it. I would read this book to children in grades 3-6 at a time when I felt the classroom needed an extra boost or motivation.
Jamieson, Victoria. Olympig!. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012. Print.
Jamieson, Victoria. Olympig!. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012. Print.
January 28, 2018
Inspirational piggy. The first pig to participate in the animal Olympics feels like he's super prepared but ends up losing in each game. He feels really bad but then stays positive and decide that he can use this experience to help him prepare for the winter Olympics.
Never give up Olympig!
Never give up Olympig!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2018
Clever premise, funny one-liners, a good moral, and a great final line.
April 26, 2018
Missed the mark for me.
October 25, 2019
I chose to skip the mean, unnecessary parts and altered a little more of the wording (like his mom saying he should be proud of himself) but the main part of the story was good enough.
January 30, 2020
We were in a piggish mood tonight and enjoyed this one too. It’s so much fun to read these silly stories with the kids. Boomer the pig just keeps trying.
February 23, 2020
Boomer keeps trying, even though he is the worst at each Olympic sport he tries! He pouts, but gets right back up and tries again. My 5 and 8 year old love this book.
December 24, 2023
According to our Goodreads blurber, "Cool comic book styling combines with classic picture book heart in this encouraging and hilarious story for every kid who's ever been told "you can't win 'em all."
Geesh, do starry-eyed children really-really need to learn this lesson in such an extreme narrative? Also, the publisher finds this storybook hilarious. Will you? (As you can see from my Goodreads shelving, which includes nothing in the HUMOR category, I didn't.)
The portrait of Boomer, this story's Olympic winner wannabe, is sympathetic. For instance:
By now, Boomer was battered. He was bruised.
But he knew that he had the very best dive in
the animal kingdom.
If you do find it hilarious to witness the youngster's humiliation, maybe you'll also like the cartoon style narration in much of this book. In which case you'd be among the intended audience.
Rating "Olympig!" according to my usual policy, I'll give it FIVE STARS.
Hey, it takes all kinds to make a world of Goodreaders.
Geesh, do starry-eyed children really-really need to learn this lesson in such an extreme narrative? Also, the publisher finds this storybook hilarious. Will you? (As you can see from my Goodreads shelving, which includes nothing in the HUMOR category, I didn't.)
The portrait of Boomer, this story's Olympic winner wannabe, is sympathetic. For instance:
By now, Boomer was battered. He was bruised.
But he knew that he had the very best dive in
the animal kingdom.
If you do find it hilarious to witness the youngster's humiliation, maybe you'll also like the cartoon style narration in much of this book. In which case you'd be among the intended audience.
Rating "Olympig!" according to my usual policy, I'll give it FIVE STARS.
Hey, it takes all kinds to make a world of Goodreaders.
February 21, 2022
Because I love When Stars Are Scattered so much and saw this book during an author visit with Jamieson, I think I got my expectations up too high. It's silly and the illustrations are fun but overall I found it just kind of meh. The main character at first thinks he can win because he is trying hard. But he fails. Then he throws a temper. Then he realizes that he need to finish but he is still really bad. I guess it's supposed to show that it's okay to not win or that it's not true that you can do anything with hard work and practice...
November 6, 2021
Honestly, from the title of the book cover - "The triumphant story of an underdog", I was expecting a story of how a pig would overcome the impossible to win. It was quite the opposite and I caught myself laughing as I flipped through each well-illustrated page of this witty tale. Go read the book and find out why it is indeed a "triumphant story". An invaluable lesson for both the young and old. Parents should take a leaf from Mama pig too.
July 29, 2024
Though I didn't really have any issue with the premise as a whole (even if you're optimistic, you may not be able to win, and that's okay), this book just didn't do it for me. Something about the overall mean-spirited asides throughout, as well as what feels like fatphobia in the illustrations.
Disappointing as I have really loved Jamieson's other work in the Pet Escape books, Rollergirl, and All's Faire in Middle School.
Disappointing as I have really loved Jamieson's other work in the Pet Escape books, Rollergirl, and All's Faire in Middle School.
March 28, 2022
This book was super funny and the illustrations brought so much to this book and the story line. Boomer never gave up even though everyone told him he would never win the Olympic Games. He persevered through and gave it his all. I thought this book was not only funny but had a great lesson. I would definitely recommend this book to children aged 9 and up!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2021
OLYMPIG by Victoria Jamieson is the triumphant story of an underdog. Boomer has practiced and worked hard and is confident in his ability to win at the upcoming Olympics. When things don't go his way he gives up but his mother's faith in him gives him the push he needs to continue. This is a great story the emphasizes working hard and doing your best! Also, that you don't have to win for others to be proud of you!
February 15, 2022
Countdown to Kindergarten: Letter O
With the Olympics happening right now and C to K being on the letter O, I really wanted to make Olympig happen. The older children liked it okay, but it was too much for the little ones.
With the Olympics happening right now and C to K being on the letter O, I really wanted to make Olympig happen. The older children liked it okay, but it was too much for the little ones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews