Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere

January 9, 2017
In this offbeat illustrated chapter book, Gravel (The Great Antonio) lets readers peer into the “observation notebook” of a girl named Olga, who adores animals but is none too keen on people. Her best friend is a spider named Rita who lives under the bathroom sink, and her archenemies are her girly neighbors Shalala and Farla, devoted readers of Twerp Girl magazine. The discovery of an odd, smelly creature that looks “like a cross between an inflated hamster and a potato drawn by a three-year-old” gets this “scientist-in-training” working observational overtime. Researching the creature she dubs Meh fills Olga’s days with purpose and her notebook with hilarious quips (“He doesn’t like it when I put a sock on his head.... He’s really scared of bananas”), which Gravel captures in her signature brand of chunky cartooning, accented with red. Readers will get lots of laughs out of the steady stream of gross-out jokes, as well as Olga’s misanthropic humor, though her attitude toward humans softens slightly by book’s end. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words.

January 1, 2017
A young girl who prefers science to people discovers an adorable and smelly little creature.With an inquisitive mind and a dark teardrop-shaped swoop of hair, Olga may not have many friends, but she loves animals and thinks even their "farts are cute." She studies them and carefully transcribes her observations; she hopes someday to hang out with Jane Goodall. When she hears a scary rumble in her trash can, Olga discovers Meh, a pudgy, smelly creature that she describes as a "cross between an inflated hamster and a potato drawn by a three-year-old." Like any good scientist-in-training, she observes Meh, trying to discern his habits and his diet. When Meh goes missing, Olga must recruit actual people to help her find him--including two pop-star-obsessed girls she calls "The Lalas," a friendly boy with a tall scribble of hair and an incontinent dog, a punk-rock librarian, and a goofy but helpful shopkeeper. Gravel's tale is a visually interesting mix of illustration and story, punctuated by numerous lists, comic panels, and cartoon diagrams and led by a smart female protagonist. Covering everything from zoology to poop jokes, Gravel has painted her tale with a broad brush that should render this an easy sell to most young readers. The human characters all have paper-white skin, and there is no other cueing of racial difference. A bubble-gum crowd pleaser with wide audience appeal. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)

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February 1, 2017

Gr 2-5-Olga is a socially awkward, animal-loving kid scientist (and an expert on animal poop). She finds that critters are far more interesting than people. In fact, Olga's only friend is the spider that lives under the bathroom sink, but he is not very cuddly and doesn't talk much. Luckily for Olga, she discovers an unknown creature that she dubs olgamus ridiculus, otherwise know as Meh. Olga embarks on a quest to understand her new friend better, but that leads her away from the safe haven of her home. As Olga tries to learn what her new pet eats, she meets some interesting people, a far cry from the irritating ones she normally encounters. For fans of "Dork Diaries" and "Captain Underpants," Olga will be a big hit. The story is embedded with comical illustrations, speech bubbles, charts, and pictures showing Olga's quirky and sometimes judgmental personality. Kids will devour the toilet humor along with the quick one-liners Olga throws out. As readers get deeper into the plot, themes of peer pressure and being oneself emerge, giving the goofy tale a little depth.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Grades 2-4 It isn't that young Olga is a curmudgeon exactly; it's that animals are so much more interesting than peopleand infinitely cuter. Even animal farts are adorable! This being the case, Olga dreams of being a zoologist and diligently keeps an observation notebook, which is what the readers hold in their hands. Hilarious comics-style illustrations (final two-toned artwork will be black and red) include diagrams, panel scenes, and copious animal sketches, both real and imagined. Equally funny is Olga's commentary: I'd like to give you a hug, but you would die, she candidly tells a spider. One evening she discovers a strange and smelly animal resembling a cross between an inflated hamster and a potato that might just be a new species. Olga conducts experiments and records everything she learns about this critter in her notebook, but when Meh disappears one day, will Olga be able to track her down? This laugh-out-loud book is a perfect pick for transitioning readers with a penchant for silly stories, or graduates of the Fly Guy series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Animal-loving Olga describes in her "observation notebook" the new creature she discovers (it "looked like a cross between an inflated hamster and a potato drawn by a three-year-old" and has rainbow-color poop). Though it occasionally strains too hard for humor, Gravel's entertaining, heavily illustrated story may appeal to fans of gross-out jokes and graphic novels and to science-minded girls.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)