Olga da Polga facts for kids
Olga da Polga is a fun, fictional guinea pig. She is the main character in a series of children's books. These books were written by Michael Bond. They were published from 1971 to 2002.
Olga is famous for telling amazing, exaggerated stories. She is a bit like Baron Munchausen, who also told tall tales. In her adventures, something normal happens to Olga. Then, she tells her animal friends a wild, over-the-top version. Later, the humans accidentally reveal the truth.
The books had memorable pictures. They were drawn by Hans Helweg. He was a Danish artist. His drawings are still well-known for Olga's stories. Later books used art by Catherine Rayner for Usborne Publishing.
Olga was named after a real guinea pig. This guinea pig belonged to the Bond family. In 2014, a journalist met the sixth guinea pig named Olga.
Contents
Olga da Polga Books
Michael Bond wrote many books about Olga. These include longer chapter books and shorter picture books.
Chapter Books
- 1971 The Tales of Olga da Polga
- 1973 Olga Meets Her Match
- 1976 Olga Carries On
- 1982 Olga Takes Charge
- 2001 Olga Moves House
- 2002 Olga Follows Her Nose
Picture Books
- 1975 Olga Counts Her Blessings
- 1975 Olga Makes a Friend
- 1975 Olga Makes a Wish
- 1975 Olga Makes Her Mark
- 1975 Olga Takes a Bite
- 1975 Olga's New Home
- 1975 Olga's Second House
- 1975 Olga's Special Day
Characters in Olga's World
Olga shares her adventures with many interesting friends and her human family.
Olga
Olga is the main character. She is a guinea pig who loves to tell exciting stories. These stories are often much bigger than what really happened.
Karen Sawdust
Karen is Olga's owner. She takes care of Olga. As a child, Karen seems to understand Olga very well.
Mrs. Sawdust
She is Karen's mother.
Mr. Sawdust
He is Karen's father. He built Olga's home.
Noel
Noel is Karen's pet black cat. He is smart and knows a lot about the world. He can go in and out of the house freely. Noel often listens to Olga's tales. He says he does not believe them, but he still enjoys hearing them.
Graham
Graham is a tortoise. He does not like being picked up. He is very slow. Graham often has a special way of looking at things.
Fangio
Fangio is a hedgehog. He has Argentine blood. He often stays in a box in the Sawdust family's garage. Fangio loves to eat bread soaked in milk. He often visits a wild patch of land called the Elysian Fields.
Boris
Boris is Olga's boyfriend. He lives by the seaside. He is also the father of Olga's children. Boris watches a lot of TV. This makes him a very good storyteller. He can tell stories almost as well as Olga.
Fircone and Raisin
These are two hamsters. Karen buys them later in the stories. At first, Olga feels a bit jealous of them. They stay in Karen's room. Olga thinks they are Karen's favorites. But Olga quickly starts to like them. They bite Noel when he tries to sneak up on them. Olga respects them for standing up to Noel, even though they are small.
Venables
Venables is a toad. He lives in a pond in the Sawdust family's garden.
