Olivia, with her flair for drama, shows kids of all ages it's ok to be different. The story begins where Olivia is bemoaning the fact that all the girls, and some of the boys, in her grade are all going to be fairy princesses for Halloween. ("I seem to remember last year you wanting to be a ballerina." "That was when I was little.") Now Olivia wants to be something a little more edgy, that fits with her "stark, modern style" and sets her apart from everyone else. And in the end, after much thought, she hits on the perfect costume.
Ian Falconer shows Olivia unapologetically embracing her individuality, encouraged by the adults around her. This is emphasized by the drawings, which are mostly black and white line drawings, where Olivia has the contrasting, brightest, or sometimes the only colors on the page. Each illustration is designed to make Olivia stand out, which highlights her uniqueness and individuality.
This book has some difficult words in it ("corporate malfeasance" is one such phrase), so younger readers may have an issue with the vocabulary. I chose to use this as a read-aloud, (which would work great for K-2), because the illustrations are large and easy to see, and because it is a great way to show kids that they should be proud of the things that make them different, and they should not be afraid to show their individuality.