The Tales of Olga da Polga

From the author of Paddington comes this charming short chapter book about a guinea pig named Olga da Polga who lives in a pet shop until she’s adopted by a little girl named Karen. Olga is quite the character: earnest, theatric, and a romantic. She’s at one moment perfectly content to bask in the sun and eat her fill of grass, and then next moment concocting a scheme to see if the grass is greener outside the pen. Her personality and choices play out their consequences quickly, to humorous effect. Bond easily gets away with the more fantastical elements of the story (like Olga spelling out her own name in sawdust so Karen knows what to name her) because he is a master of realistic personality and social dynamics. There are many show more many children’s stories about anthropomorphized animals, and I liked how Olga’s adventures navigated both her natural experiences as a guinea pig and her interactions with the human world from the perspective of a small mammal.

Olga da Polga isn’t quite an easy reader as there is plenty of more complicated vocabulary, but its length and plentiful illustrations make it perfect for the child who is reading independently but not quite ready for chunky chapter books. show less

Utterly charming! A guinea pig with attitude paired with a masterful illustrator.

Funny, and a little wise. This smart, sweet and slightly self-important guinea pig almost makes me want to have one of my own.

Tall-tale telling guinea pig Olga De Polgais a fun companion for a tweeny afternoon, but her exploits sometimes get her in trouble. Still, she's irrepressible.

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