Katie and Jack love going to stay with their friend, Olga. Olga comes from the Russian Volga but, after a successful career as an actress, has retired in the Australian Mulga. When Katie and Jack go to visit her, they are dismayed at the closure of the local movie theatre. Someone, they decide, should make a good movie, so that people will come to see it and the cinema will stay open. They set about making a film about Olga’s life – a show which proves to be a big success.
Volga Olga from the Mulga is a fun picture book featuring the slightly eccentric Olga and her fun-loving friends Katie and Jack. Illustrator Jody Pratt brings the images of rural Australia to life with earthy ochres, blues and greens and rural images including windmills, gum trees and more. She uses collage and acrylic as well as digital images to create detailed images with plenty to absorb young readers.
Volga Olga from the Mulga will appeal to kids aged 4 to 6 and, as well as being good fun, has multicultural elements and simple film and theatre imagery and terminology which could have classroom application.
Volga Olga from the Mulga, by Veronica Larkin & Robert Gibson, illustrated by Jody Pratt
Lothian, 2007