Ollie and Augustus

by Gabriel Evans, Gabriel Evans (Illustrator)

Overview

In a sweet story full of visual humor, first-day-of-school worries take on a new weight when Ollie’s best (and furriest) friend must stay at home.

Ollie was small — like a pickling jar or a shoe box.
Augustus was big — like a fridge or a table.


Ollie and his dog, Augustus, do almost everything together: painting, riding bikes, digging (Ollie’s favorite), and collecting sticks (Augustus’s favorite). So as Ollie is getting ready to start school, he’s a little worried. Won’t Augustus be lonely during the day? Ollie has just the idea: a sign that reads Wanted: Friend for Augustus. But good friends, as it turns out, are hard to find. Luckily, Ollie and Augustus aren’t just any kind of friends — they’re best friends, and nothing will ever change that. Endearingly illustrated with scratch-scratchy appeal, this is a tale for animal lovers and new school-goers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536209679
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	05/26/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Gabriel Evans has been illustrating children’s books since he was seventeen. Augustus is partially inspired by his rescue border collie, who thinks she is bigger than she is. Gabriel Evans lives in Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Delicate earth-toned illustrations rely on fine, sketchy outlines, pale color highlights, and all-white backgrounds to humorously flesh out the spare text. Fragile, diminutive Ollie appears an unlikely match for his massive canine buddy, but amusing vignettes reveal these pals engrossed in painting, bike riding, people watching, dressing up, tree climbing, and, of course, digging and stick collecting. An endearing, visually rib-tickling ode to best friends.
—Kirkus Reviews

Sweet and spare, the illustrations convey large feelings, especially Ollie’s worries, and his relief about discovering that Augustus doesn’t mind entertaining himself. This gentle account of separation anxiety and companionship is a nice tonic for first-day-of-school nerves, in the vein of Oliver and His Alligator (2013), by Paul Schmidt.
—Booklist

From the Publisher

05/01/2020

PreS-Gr 2—Ollie and his dog Augustus enjoy doing everything together, from painting and dress up to tree climbing and stick collecting. When Ollie starts school, he worries about his best friend and attempts to find Augustus a canine friend "with a sense of humor, similar interests, and a passion for stick collecting." In the end, despite Ollie's worries, it turns out Augustus has exactly what he needs. Evans's pencil, watercolor, and gouache illustrations have a distinctive sketched texture that imbues the illustrations with charm and motion, from Ollie's unruly hair to the wagging tails of Augustus's many friend applicants. Augustus's large size adds to the whimsy of Evans's inviting illustrations. A very restrained color palatte paired with crisp white backgrounds complements the story's focus on Ollie and Augustus and their more quiet and contemplative pursuits, like sunset watching and Friday nights at home. Front and back end papers show a collection of additional scrapbook moments of Augustus and Ollie. This sweet tale of irreplaceable friendship will appeal to both dog lovers and readers who are, like Ollie, thoughtful worriers and more inclined to one very good friend and quiet times together. VERDICT A warmly illustrated, tender story recommended for all who are heading off to school and leaving a best friend at home.—Amanda Foulk, Sacramento P.L.

School Library Journal

2020-02-09
As Ollie starts school, he worries his dog, Augustus, will miss him.

Even though Ollie’s “small—like a pickling jar or a shoebox,” and Augustus is “big—like a fridge or a table,” these best friends do “most things together.” Ollie’s favorite activity is digging while Augustus likes stick collecting. Sometimes they annoy and irritate each other, but if they get mad, they make up in time for lunch. Poised to start school, Ollie fears Augustus will be lonely and advertises for a friend for Augustus, emphasizing everything Augustus likes to do. Next day, canine candidates line up to interview for the position. After a series of disappointing play dates, none of the applicants understand Augustus’ “favorite things,” nor does he understand theirs. Although Ollie spends the first day of school sad and worrying about Augustus, he’s in for a surprise. Delicate earth-toned illustrations rely on fine, sketchy outlines, pale color highlights, and all-white backgrounds to humorously flesh out the spare text. Fragile, diminutive Ollie appears an unlikely match for his massive canine buddy, but amusing vignettes reveal these pals engrossed in painting, bike riding, people watching, dressing up, tree climbing, and, of course, digging and stick collecting.

An endearing, visually rib-tickling ode to best friends. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews