Olga the Brolga

by Rod Clement

Olga the brolga is in a terrible mood. She desperately wants to dance-but no one will dance with her. Her parents have other things to do, Ellie the crocodile doesn't feel like jumping around and Joanna Jacana only wants to sleep. As for Lilly the long-neck, well, she's a bit grumpy, too! So Olga decides to dance by herself; and when she does, something absolutely wonderful happens . . . Olga the Brolga is an exquisitely illustrated story with an endearing main character who teaches children the value of being an individual. It is a tale that will delight children and adults alike. The award-winning illustrator of the immensely popular Edward the Emu, Rod Clement has been published in the USA, Europe and Australia.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Australia, Birds

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Christine Meunier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming story with nice images and a reminder to do what you love, even if others won't join you.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book that is both fun to read and a delight to look at! I loved it cover to cover. It has a great lesson and a fun style both in story and illustrations. It is one that kids will love to read and adults will love to read it to their children. A perfect book for home and school libraries!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a newer Australian picture book, written and illustrated by Clement whose day-job is cartoonist for one of the big national newspapers. His illustration style is what really caught me eye, I'm really drawn to this style of artwork in picture books. It has a high level of fine detail, rich colours, is very vibrant and visually captivating, and the scenes are original - they're not obvious, or flat, angles or perspectives.

The story is told in a slight sing-song rhyme, nothing too formal and structured but that, for the most part, rolls off the tongue easily (there are a couple of awkward spots that take a while to get the hang of). The story itself reminds me a bit of Giles Andreae picture book, Giraffes Can't Dance - the tune is the same and the story is similar.

Olga the Brolga (a type of long-legged bird) wants to go dancing, but no one will dance with her. Her parents just want to eat their breakfast and tell her to go and ask her friends. Her friends are too tired, and everyone's getting a bit annoyed with Olga and her demands. She's a bit selfish and whiny and bossy, and not much fun to be around these days.



So Olga decides to shut up and just start dancing. She's having so much fun that soon others come to watch and they start joining in. There's a cute little moral:

Olga stayed silent,
she said not a word.
Sometimes it's better
To be seen and not heard.
[...]
Olga was tired,
but happy at last.
She'd got what she wanted
without having asked.

A simple story, nicely told and beautifully illustrated. I can see why Clement wins awards for his work.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olga learns that whining and shouting don't help her get what she wants. She discovers that simply dancing and having fun will draw in others to dance too.

[Elizabeth]

The illustrations are wondrous! Olga however whines until she gets her own way and then becomes malleable. It is not the best moral for young readers. But, it certainly is accurate and could be a useful tool to address poor behavior.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations in this book about a brolga (Australian bird) who is bored and tries asking all the other animals to play with her. The lesson is that nagging and complaining won't get you anywhere.

[Jill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful picture book has rhyming prose and fantastic illustrations.

How wonderful for children to enjoy.

Olga dances beautifully and soon has everyone dancing with her. No shouting required!

[Yassine · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was nice because olga has no friends and all of her friend want to be her friend

[Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a mouthful for a bedtime story but Kid 2 is a fan

[Cal Devney]

This is my favourite picture book. It has a lovely message, a wonderful storyline and the most superb illustrations.

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author/Illustrator: Rod Clement
First Published: 2002

Bright Australian colours with a sweet narrative which appeals to the child as well as the mother in me - if you just stop nagging, everyone will be more receptive!

Not a lot to say - it's colourful, straightforward, humorous, and happy. A lovely portrayal of Australian fauna with simple rhyme, highlighting the legendary dancer.

Age
Read aloud: 4+
Read yourself: 8+

(ISBN 9780207197581)

[Claire]

The illustrations are so rich and beautiful, and the story of the young olga who is whinny and rude finally getting what she wants when she finally acts in a non whinny way is a story that resonates well in our family.

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has fantastic illustrations and the text is also very good.

I thought that it was pretty arrogant of the author to include a full page biography and photo before the title page...