Olga da Polga

by Michael Bond

Olga da Polga has left the pet shop to start a new life with her owners. Her home is now a large and airy hutch and it's not long before she meets Noel the cat, Fangio the hedgehog, and Graham the tortoise. Her garden companions soon discover that Olga loves an audience and from the moment she arrives she tells them stories about her wild and exciting adventures. Although they are not always sure whether to believe everything Olga says, one thing is certain-since Olga moved in, life is never dull! Whether she's Olga the explorer, Olga the prizewinner, or Olga the storyteller, she is always Olga da Polga! Written by national treasure Michael Bond, with wonderful colour illustrations by Catherine Rayner and a dazzling design, this small format gift edition is perfect for young readers.

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Picture Books, Classics, Chapter Books, Juvenile

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Michael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.

Reviews

[Kate Hacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book! Olivia and I really enjoyed it as a bedtime read. My only niggle is that some sentences rely on idioms that might go above little ones heads.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book that addresses any SERIOUS ISSUES of our day. Instead, it’s the most delightful story I’ve read aloud with the kids in a long time. I’m surprised I only learned of it recently! Olga is resourceful, a little vain, and supremely confident. She’s also the best storyteller/guinea pig that I am aware of. If at all possible, I recommend that you search out an edition that includes Catherine Rayner’s charming illustrations.

[A N N A · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable book about one of planet earth’s best creatures - guinea pigs.

Such a cute read to take your mind off of things.

[Lisa McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud to my kids. Set it down and finally came back to finish... not my favorite but the kids seemed to enjoy it. It was kind of slow. It just didn't have anything that made me want to keep reading it or anything that made the kids ask to finish it after we read the first few chapters, which explains why it sat for a few months before we finished it.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a dull read .

[Dusty Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my shelf for YEARS, but we finally added it to our homeschool morning basket as a group read aloud for my younger three children. We adore the Paddington series and love how Michael Bond just brings pure delight to the simplicities of life through lovable animals.

Olga da Polga is no exception. Fluffy guinea pig Olga is full of moxie and imagination. Her antics will bring giggles and head shakes in the very best way.

What I love most is how the stories feel gentle but never dull. It’s a slower-paced read compared to some modern children’s books, but honestly, that was part of the appeal.

Highly recommend for ages 5–10, especially as a cozy read-aloud for families. <3

[Leyda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beso el suelo que pisan las patitas de Olga. Simplemente.

Me parece muy adorable cómo una pequeña cobaya tiene tanto por aprender del mundo fuera de la tienda de animales, y más adorable todavía es su relación no solo con Karen Sawdust aunque me considero muchísimo más fan del abuelo de Karen, la verdad , sino con los demás animalitos que va conociendo a lo largo de este libro.

Olga, además de aventurera e inquieta, es muy creativa: cuenta unos cuentos increíbles que explican de manera concreta por qué las cobayas son como son (por qué no tienen cola o por qué gritan de manera tan característica).

Se trata sin lugar a dudas de lo que considero libros infantiles para adultos, que son aquellos libros infantiles que aun siendo adultos, disfrutamos y valoramos de manera indescriptible, ¡y cómo he disfrutado yo a Olga da Polga! 🥰

[Merridy Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am in love with this book. Michael Bond writes well with such ease and delightful humour. My partner and I have been reading chapters aloud to each other and so enjoying the characters, especially Olga herself. Feisty, funny, and perfectly captured in the illustrations. This is ostensibly a children's book but I know I'll read it many times!

We've also got what must be the most beautiful edition of the book. Can't look at the illustrations enough! The depiction of plants in the background silhouettes (if you know, you can identify each weed, flower and grass from the detail), the delicate colour palette, and the humorous rendition of the animals are all wonderful.

Michael Bond clearly knew guinea pigs very well!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea why most of these books are out-of-print; Olga da Polga is a hoot! I like her better than Paddington. (They have the same author.) Unlike Paddington, this spunky little guinea pig lives a very normal guinea pig life: she is purchased from a pet shop and spends all her time between a hutch and a guinea pig run at her new home. What sets her apart and really makes the stories shine, though, is her wild imagination! Completely mundane things will happen to her, and she makes up wild stories to explain them. I read it aloud to my 6-year-old and enjoyed every chapter as much as she did.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

So darn cute!! I read this to my kids at bedtime- a chapter or two a day- and we all really enjoyed it. The book is from the perspective of a guinea pig who likes to make up stories and has a few adventures. I love the big illustrations on almost every page (some pages are just a different color or have a border of trees etc, but there are plenty of illustrations of Olga and her friends). Great read-aloud! My kids and I wish there were more Olga books!

[Lucy Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves guinea pigs this book is naturally going to be one I enjoy. You could tell that the author had owned guinea pigs through the way he seemed to perfectly capture what you imagine a guinea pig to be thinking. The illustrations in my addition just added to the enjoyment, they are gorgeous and I can see this book being a good class read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so enchanting. Each chapter is like it's own mini story within the larger story of Olga's life with the Sawdust family. I loved is and so did my daughter. A great read aloud at bedtime.

[Lynne Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore anything guinea pig related - had them as pets throughout childhood and up until about age 23. I remember reading the thin little paperbacks as well as watching the Olga de Polga Saturday morning cartoon on television... it was a sweet show and best of all, shared happiness and joy. :-)

[Sue Ellen Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to read with animal loving children! Especially if they love guinea pigs! My teenaged daughter actually read aloud to us, with the perfect voice for Olga based on her experience with her own piggies. It was a delight to watch her enjoy this humorous book!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo cute! We just adopted a baby guinea pig and found this book. It is so adorable and has some important facts about guinea pigs. We loved Olga's guinea pig tales! I read aloud to my young kids and we all loved it!

[Faith Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed reading a chapter at lunch! Maybe too much detail for my 2 & 3 year old but my 5 year old was very attentive during the readings! This author wrote Paddington Bear if that means anything to you.❤️

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family really enjoyed this book about Olga da Polga the guinea pig, and the illustrations were especially delightful. I love the picture of Olga with her little hurt legs--it is so adorable!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my daughter and after getting used to the dialect, we really enjoyed following Olga the guinea pig throughout her little adventures! A great read aloud for young children!

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story, and even cuter illustrations! I'm happy we chose to read this one again!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the stories. Read to my daughter's. Catherine Rayner's illustrations are great too!

[Malinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

We happened upon this little chapter book by chance and I am so glad we read it! It was hilarious and adorable and even better than Paddington.

[Hanna Douaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book with funny stories and beautiful drawings. I can hear Olga da Polga speak❤

[Danica Midlil · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lucky to get to read this edition with Catherine Rayner's gorgeous watercolor illustrations. She does guinea pigs so well!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[Katilipops · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to the kids. Sweet story about a Guinea pig and his adventures with neighborhood friends. Illustrations are great.

[Paige Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow in spots to me but the kids enjoyed it!

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute book by Michael Bond, but I just didn't find Olga charming or nearly as lovable as Paddington. The illustrations in this one though, absolutely adorable!

[Christine Skippins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favourite, and now about to enjoy it all over again with grandchildren

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read aloud for early elementary school. A fun story for 3rd-4th grade readers. I loved Olga and her funny stories and antics.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read for young children