Olga the Brolga

There's no doubt Rod Clement's sensationally detailed colour illustrations lifted the average storylines of Edward the Emu and its sequel Edwina the Emu to the classic great book status they now enjoy. So it is no wonder he thought I might as well write the story myself rather than carry someone else's work to great heights which is exactly what he's done with Olga the Brolga. Unfortunately his talents do lie in illustrating and the story alone is nothing memorable, the rhyming even seems forced at times. However like he does for other authors, his illustrations lift Olga the Brolga to a must read level and even make this book a classic. Olga the Brolga is the tale of a young female Brolga who wants who wants to everyone in her family and the community to dance with her. Everyone else (a crocodile, turtle and other wetland bird are either too busy or not in the mood. Olga soon learns that nagging and annoying everyone else is not pleasing them or letting her reach her objectives so decides to do what she should have just done all along which greatly pleases the other inhabitants of this Australian wetland habitat which include sensationally detailed illustrated black faced cormorants, pelicans, water hens, frogs, various types of snakes and other waterbirds. Buy it for the great illustrations alone!

Hands down, my son loves it. The rhyme, illustrations and characters are all so wonderful. He asks for this book all the time- it was every night for several weeks! I'll get the others in this series.

Outstanding illustrations. An array of northern Australian birds, mammals and reptiles populate this story, told in amusing and clever verse.