Olga

By: Ted Kelsey

Narrated by: Sandra Murphy

Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Magic weapons, white tigers, cat-faced moths and giants on motorcycles...Olga is Ted Kelsey's captivating first novel.

When a mysterious figure is seen floating and dancing in the field near their house, Jack and Sally decide to investigate. This decision will lead them to an exciting place far beyond their imagination, the home of Olga.

Nothing in the clouds is as it appears, and in order to get home safely, Jack and Sally must first learn whom to trust, and find a way to believe in themselves.

A story of spirit and imagination that the Online Book Club has described as "interwoven with comedy and deeper emotions of freedom and loneliness", Olga will delight listeners of all ages.

©2015 Ted Kelsey (P)2017 Ted Kelsey

A delightful retelling of Jack and the Bean Stalk.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Olga?

The descriptions of the giants at the feast table.

What does Sandra Murphy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Sandra has a pleasant voice and her character voices are distinctive, It was a smooth narration, and lovely to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I was provided a review copy, via Audiobook Boom, in return for an honest review.

A Definite Children's Story...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I Would Recommend This For A Children's Classroom

If you’ve listened to books by Ted Kelsey before, how does this one compare?

This Was My First Story By Ted...

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes... It Was A Light Story So The Narrator's Voice Did Carry The Characters

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No...I Like Fantasy But The Story Concept Seemed Disoriented...But I'm Viewing The Book As An Adult And Not A Child...

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

A children's "land of giants" imaginative story

What made the experience of listening to Olga the most enjoyable?

The narrator, Sandra Murphy, really made the characters come to life.

Have you listened to any of Sandra Murphy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, Sandra's performances are always outstanding! You can tell she is passionate about her work.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Different spin on a familiar tale

Would you listen to Olga again? Why?

I would listen to Olga again with my children as they enjoyed it quite a bit.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the unique feel of the world that was created by the author.

Which character – as performed by Sandra Murphy – was your favorite?

Sally was my favorite character that was narrated. She was strong and didn't need saving.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, while it is short and it would be possible I listened to this in the vehicle with my children and it took several trips to finish, but they were always excited to start it again.

My 7 year old listens over and over

What did you love best about Olga?

The 2 main characters are very engaging for any age level. Every character is well voiced by Narrator

What does Sandra Murphy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The Voices she produces for each child and beast bring a vivid image to the holder of that voice

Any additional comments?

We have an echo dot in my kid's room and my daughter tells it 3/5 nights to play Olga. it combines classic fairy tale scenarios with very familiar modern kid antics. I often sit in their room while they get settled in and I enjoy the story as well. Mainly due to the wonderful narration. I received a copy in exchange for a voluntary opinion on the book. it was a good one.

An imaginative, fun update on a classic fairytale

This delightful and imaginative story takes the traditional English fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk and reinvents it for a modern young audience. Full of mystery and suspense, it’s only once the story is in full swing that you begin to identify elements of Jack’s world from the original 18th century children’s story.

In this modern version, Jack and Sally are great friends who discover a mysterious creature while they are playing in a graveyard. The creature appears to be a large stuffed toy with similar features to an elephant, but when Jack touches it, he gets stuck to it. Sally attempts to free him and the duo are whisked away into the clouds where a giant girl named Olga awaits.

Free from the toy, Sally must navigate a strange new landscape of clouds to find Jack. She meets bizarre talking creatures and challenges along the way, unaware that Jack has been taken captive by Olga, whose father enjoys the taste of human children. It becomes a tale of adventure, courage, friendship and belonging.

In print format, Olga is an illustrated children’s book. Audiobook listeners not only get the superb advantage of Sandra Murphy’s fun narration, but they’re provided with a web address at the start so they can also enjoy Dillon Samuelson’s pencil illustrations as they listen.

Murphy’s character work is wonderful. In a fantasy novel such as this, there’s free range to bring a plethora of creatures to life and she does so without being too over the top. Each of her creatures and human characters remain in the realms of believability while conjuring images in the mind of this strange new world. She provides a sense of wonder and thrill, that is contagious, yet suitable for the juvenile target audience.

If you're looking for children's audiobooks, you can find more reviewed on my audiobook site at SaidNotRead dot wordpress dot com. Olga can be a frightening tale at times, and parental guidance for younger listeners is recommended. Running at more than 4 hours, it’s a suitable length to listen to across several sittings however, allowing time for discussion if needed.

A New Telling

4.50 stars, Overall

Olga was a delightful listen about children, beanstalks, and multiple giants. It will be a fun book for adventure-seeking listeners who want a new spin of technology smart children discovering a world above the clouds, via a wonderful non-living elephant!

I found this book while searching for other books by Susan Murphy, who has a wonderful voice for children's books. I'm satisfied with her performance and decision to bring this book to life.

A few areas were slow, but it was brief. Not eye-rolling slow, but it felt like fluff and did not forward the story line, plot, nor character developments.

My 'Listen to this Book with Granddaughters' list is growing, with this addition.

Although I read a review where a reader was "offended" by the iridescent giant, who was of a dark skin color (most giants had all kinds of colors!), I connected it with evil usually being represented by the black cape, an assassin dressed in black, or black eyes {Olga's were not} (white magic, dark magic) and did not get the impression it was any sort of symbolic or representation of a racial prejudice.

I would highly, highly recommend this book for family time - or to entertain children and entice them to use their creative imaginations. Of course, the young at heart would love this perfect new world with charming characters. The characters and settings were described innocently for younger ears, but an older listener would appreciate its endearments expected from our experience with a well written book!


"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."