Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere (Olga #1)

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. (Mar.)

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.