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Brave Ollie Possum
Ollie Mackerelli is determined to face his fear of the dark once and for all, but he gets more than he bargained for when his therapist turns out to be an actual monster. To make it even worse, Ollie is transformed from a boy to a possum and locked in a cage.
With no way to call for help, Ollie must learn to be brave (with the help of some furry friends) or he will be the main course.
Adventurous, imaginative, and fantastically illustrated, Brave Ollie Possum is the debut children's story from author and screenwriter Ethan Nicolle.
With no way to call for help, Ollie must learn to be brave (with the help of some furry friends) or he will be the main course.
Adventurous, imaginative, and fantastically illustrated, Brave Ollie Possum is the debut children's story from author and screenwriter Ethan Nicolle.
378 pages, Hardcover
Published October 29, 2019
25 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 11, 2019
Both the illustrations are the language in Brave Ollie Possum delight at every turn. My two favorite neologisms are Glortch, which is such a perfect name for an ogreish monster that I'm surprised no one's thought of it before, and bearsplosion*, which rivals sharknado as the best zooviolentphenomenological** term ever coined.
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*No bears were harmed in the coining of this word.
**I get credit for this one.
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*No bears were harmed in the coining of this word.
**I get credit for this one.
December 29, 2019
I would’ve loved this book as a kid. Who am I kidding? I loved it as an adult.
December 7, 2020
Great story. Excellent narration by the author. Only complaint: really, really jonesin' for some lasagna now...
February 12, 2020
The Glortch has become a bad-guy archetype around our house for games of chase, find the monster down the dark hallway, terrify the child into eating their dinner -- you know, all the parental necessities. Just finished reading it aloud to the boys (ages 7 and under) and it gets five stars for the illustrations alone and the phrase "I'll munch your bonies like pepperonis." Shoulda heard the kids laugh at the great moments of slapstick and their choruses of "ew" when describing Glortch food / songs / appearance.... Great to see Ethan Nicolle taking up the mantle of Roald Dahl.
January 30, 2020
Just wrapped edits on the audiobook. Ethan Nicolle deserves all the awards for his performance. His comedic timing with the characters (especially his villain) are supreme. Each and every character has his own voice and timber and timing. Excellent stuff.
July 13, 2020
"Do what you can with what you have"
Had it not been for my admiration of Ethan Nicole (a writer and podcast host of the Christian satirical site Babylon Bee), I don't think I would have ever picked up Brave Ollie Possum. After all, it is a pre-teen novel that covers the age-old theme of overcoming fears.
At first glance, the plot itself appears a little too formulaic to justify a dive into a relatively unknown children's tale that was framed by the author as a 'bedtime story'. The plot of a young boy being scared of practically everything being turned into a possum and having one day to set things right appeared to be one that didn't entice me as an adult reader.
Surprised to say, this is actually not the case. Brave Ollie Possum addresses an important moral through a fast-paced story with bold and unforeseen twists and turns. The plot rarely goes in ways you expect and even treads into darker territory that other authors for this demographic may not be willing to go. This is not only in the sense that some of the action scenes are intense (maybe too intense for some young ones), but that it also presents a more complex message of fear and courage. Sometimes, situations in life demand a response - to do what is right for the sake of others, or to take an easier, more comfortable path. Nicole does a great job of placing the reader in the fur of the one who makes these decisions, a cowardly boy-turned possum (the latter being renowned for avoiding such situations by 'playing dead').
It was refreshing to see Christian values embedded in the story. The isn't explicitly Christian per se, but the characters make occasional references to their faith and trust in God. It didn't appear to be too on the nose or merely referencing it to let the audience know that this is a Christian book. It just seemed to be a part of the character's lives, which is delightful to see in an age where far more harmful messages are being normalized in children's novels.
What makes BOP a great book, however, is that it is teeming with humor and charm. Hilarious descriptions come in thick and fast from the narrator who goes above and beyond what is necessary. For example:
"She toppled forward right off the porch tumbling down the front stairs in such a clumsy fashion that had the fall been recorded, the footage would have been studied in prestigious clown colleges for centuries as the silliest, most ridiculous fall down a flight of stairs in the history of the art form."
Nicole also presents so fun ideas of how the animals perceive the world which I won't spoil.
As many have said on Goodreads already, Brave Ollie Possum is a book I wish I had when I was younger. It is frequently hilarious and is wacky in every good sense of the word., yet it doesn't belittle its audience.
I'm glad I read it.
4 Stars
Had it not been for my admiration of Ethan Nicole (a writer and podcast host of the Christian satirical site Babylon Bee), I don't think I would have ever picked up Brave Ollie Possum. After all, it is a pre-teen novel that covers the age-old theme of overcoming fears.
At first glance, the plot itself appears a little too formulaic to justify a dive into a relatively unknown children's tale that was framed by the author as a 'bedtime story'. The plot of a young boy being scared of practically everything being turned into a possum and having one day to set things right appeared to be one that didn't entice me as an adult reader.
Surprised to say, this is actually not the case. Brave Ollie Possum addresses an important moral through a fast-paced story with bold and unforeseen twists and turns. The plot rarely goes in ways you expect and even treads into darker territory that other authors for this demographic may not be willing to go. This is not only in the sense that some of the action scenes are intense (maybe too intense for some young ones), but that it also presents a more complex message of fear and courage. Sometimes, situations in life demand a response - to do what is right for the sake of others, or to take an easier, more comfortable path. Nicole does a great job of placing the reader in the fur of the one who makes these decisions, a cowardly boy-turned possum (the latter being renowned for avoiding such situations by 'playing dead').
It was refreshing to see Christian values embedded in the story. The isn't explicitly Christian per se, but the characters make occasional references to their faith and trust in God. It didn't appear to be too on the nose or merely referencing it to let the audience know that this is a Christian book. It just seemed to be a part of the character's lives, which is delightful to see in an age where far more harmful messages are being normalized in children's novels.
What makes BOP a great book, however, is that it is teeming with humor and charm. Hilarious descriptions come in thick and fast from the narrator who goes above and beyond what is necessary. For example:
"She toppled forward right off the porch tumbling down the front stairs in such a clumsy fashion that had the fall been recorded, the footage would have been studied in prestigious clown colleges for centuries as the silliest, most ridiculous fall down a flight of stairs in the history of the art form."
Nicole also presents so fun ideas of how the animals perceive the world which I won't spoil.
As many have said on Goodreads already, Brave Ollie Possum is a book I wish I had when I was younger. It is frequently hilarious and is wacky in every good sense of the word., yet it doesn't belittle its audience.
I'm glad I read it.
4 Stars
August 6, 2022
Brave Ollie Possum is the tale of a possum. He starts out as a scared possum, but he becomes a brave possum in the end.
There is much telling rather than showing, and the lessons about fear and bravery aren't as tactfully conveyed as some may prefer. However, genuine humor is woven naturally into the dialogue by former Babylon Bee staffer Ethan Nicolle, making Brave Ollie Possum a delightful and entertaining story with lovable characters that will keep you turning those pages all the way to the end.
Brave possums are really cool.
There is much telling rather than showing, and the lessons about fear and bravery aren't as tactfully conveyed as some may prefer. However, genuine humor is woven naturally into the dialogue by former Babylon Bee staffer Ethan Nicolle, making Brave Ollie Possum a delightful and entertaining story with lovable characters that will keep you turning those pages all the way to the end.
Brave possums are really cool.
April 18, 2020
The kids are still talking about the evil glortch and the loyal Willoughby. The pictures are fantastic. Lots of fun to read out loud!
March 10, 2025
Read this again with Leo and it was just as silly, gross, and delightful as the first time with the older kids.
September 13, 2021
We read this story aloud as a family and everyone enjoyed it. It's a great story about what it means to be fearful and what it means to overcome fear. I'm giving this 4 -stars for two reasons:
1. The illustrations are brilliant AND on the scary side. My younger and more sensitive children didn't want to look at the pictures of the Glortch. It's very easily not to show your younger/sensitive readers the pictures in the book that you don't want them to see and/or think they will be bothered by though.
2. My main reason for docking this book by one star is simply that the author is in love with similes. And I do mean he is IN LOVE with using similes. Almost every other paragraph has one and when reading aloud this habit becomes glaringly obvious and tiring over time. I feel like he could have toned their usage down in order to have a greater effect but clearly the editor was a fan as well. But yowee! Overuse!
Otherwise, the story is imaginative, excellent and I would recommend it as a read aloud without hesitation.
1. The illustrations are brilliant AND on the scary side. My younger and more sensitive children didn't want to look at the pictures of the Glortch. It's very easily not to show your younger/sensitive readers the pictures in the book that you don't want them to see and/or think they will be bothered by though.
2. My main reason for docking this book by one star is simply that the author is in love with similes. And I do mean he is IN LOVE with using similes. Almost every other paragraph has one and when reading aloud this habit becomes glaringly obvious and tiring over time. I feel like he could have toned their usage down in order to have a greater effect but clearly the editor was a fan as well. But yowee! Overuse!
Otherwise, the story is imaginative, excellent and I would recommend it as a read aloud without hesitation.
January 24, 2021
Honestly, I'd give this a 6/5 if I could. My children loved this book but I may have loved it more.
November 23, 2020
This one was so much fun!
September 22, 2023
Felt like it took us forever to finish this book. That’s partly due to our crazy, summer schedule, but also… this book was long! 373 pages! A huge chunk of the story takes place during a period of 24 hours, but everything that happened during that time felt like days. It just seemed to drag on and on and on. And quite honestly, some of the writing was just silly or difficult to read because of the length and detail of some sentences.
Giving it three stars because, overall, I did enjoy the story. I just think it could have been about 100 pages less.
Giving it three stars because, overall, I did enjoy the story. I just think it could have been about 100 pages less.
May 2, 2023
4.5 stars! Super fun book, especially for boys and tomboys. I took off .5 star for some of the really gross humor. It was a bit much for me sometimes but my gents thought it was funny. We enjoyed reading this as a family even though it took us FOREVER to get through. It would be a quick read for a kiddo who loves reading. I think it would also appeal to some kids who don't love reading especially if they are animal lovers.
November 9, 2019
This story is a great mix of adventure, humor and heart. The illustrations are incredible, I feel this is the sort of book that could draw in a middle schooler who generally resists reading. At the same time, this would also be a great book to be read aloud as a family.
What stood out the most to me, and what I feel is the greatest accomplishment of the author, is that the story reaches out to both the child and parent. The child is shown what it means to be brave, the parent is reminded of what is was like to be frightened of the dark, and both catch a glimpse of how they can be misunderstood by each other in these sort of situations. I heartily recommend this.
What stood out the most to me, and what I feel is the greatest accomplishment of the author, is that the story reaches out to both the child and parent. The child is shown what it means to be brave, the parent is reminded of what is was like to be frightened of the dark, and both catch a glimpse of how they can be misunderstood by each other in these sort of situations. I heartily recommend this.
December 20, 2020
We loved reading this book as a family. We listened to the audiobook together, and it was such a great narration. We all laughed and got excited together as good triumphed over evil. Some of the descriptions in the book were extra gross, which our kids found hilarious. An all around fun book to read as a family.
November 30, 2019
One of the best kids books I’ve ever read. So funny but it has a good message.
December 4, 2019
This book is so awesome!
September 19, 2020
This book was a hoot. Weird and silly, with plenty of gross out humor and a healthy dash of just the right kind of scary, plus wonderfully fun illustrations, this is a perfect book for kids of a certain age. (Not my kids, not yet, as the eldest is only five, but in another five or six years I predict this will be a huge hit with them.) Lots of great setups and payoffs and some surprisingly poignant themes of fear and bravery (obviously) and the bond between a father and son—which really got me at the end. Lots of fun, but with a bit of substance too.
December 9, 2020
I loved this book! It presents truly terrifying moments and gives appropriate responses of bravery, sacrifice, kindness and loyalty. My 4 year old and 6 year old have listened to the audiobook with me (read by the author) and it’s been such fun. My only recommendation is that you read it (or listen) along with them - it’s a feast book, one to be enjoyed by adults as well.
January 30, 2024
A new favorite family listen! It’ll take a while before we stop quoting this one. We definitely plan to get a hard copy in the future so the kids can enjoy the illustrations.
Keeter the porcupine’s full name was one of our favorite parts! 😆❤️
The audiobook on the Canon+ app was great!
Keeter the porcupine’s full name was one of our favorite parts! 😆❤️
The audiobook on the Canon+ app was great!
June 12, 2021
Great book my favorite part was when Ollie made a lasagna for all the animals as a possum
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2022
Quirky, fun, hilarious at times, fantastic ending, and the kids loved it and every night asked for "just one more chapter".
May 27, 2021
The boys and I enjoyed listening to this during lunch. (Except on occasion when I had to pause the visceral descriptions, so I could finish eating. lol) Go listen or hand it to your middle grader.
February 4, 2022
At first, I thought I would dislike this book because it seemed kinda silly. But then, as I got to know the characters better, the whole thing seemed to come alive.
January 22, 2020
The first book of the year and a read-aloud at that!
We began this book out of necessity. We were stuck in a small room with the door closed, and no toys but hangers, while the floor on the other side was being loudly sanded. Out of desperation for something to entertain my five-year-old, I told him to hand me Brave Ollie Possum guessing I would have to put the book down by the end of the first page because of how frightening it might be to him. I had actually purchased this book around Christmas time but didn't put it under the tree as I wanted to preview it. If I had have done that I wouldn't have read it to my five-year-old. And that would be a great pity.
After the first page turned into four chapters, I knew we were in for it. It's the first chapter book he just begged me to keep reading. It held his attention like no other. I could see him identifying with a character in a way he had never done before. You know the look.
He loved it. We all did.
The next day I read from chapter 4 to chapter 52. We laughed. We got teary. We rejoiced. We loved. We reveled in the wordplay.
We stayed up way past even the adults' bedtime. It's that good. For all of us.
(The way Ollie’s dad treats his son at the beginning of the book is truly terrible. Don’t be that guy. And depending on your child, you may want to verbally edit some of that out as you read it aloud.)
We began this book out of necessity. We were stuck in a small room with the door closed, and no toys but hangers, while the floor on the other side was being loudly sanded. Out of desperation for something to entertain my five-year-old, I told him to hand me Brave Ollie Possum guessing I would have to put the book down by the end of the first page because of how frightening it might be to him. I had actually purchased this book around Christmas time but didn't put it under the tree as I wanted to preview it. If I had have done that I wouldn't have read it to my five-year-old. And that would be a great pity.
After the first page turned into four chapters, I knew we were in for it. It's the first chapter book he just begged me to keep reading. It held his attention like no other. I could see him identifying with a character in a way he had never done before. You know the look.
He loved it. We all did.
The next day I read from chapter 4 to chapter 52. We laughed. We got teary. We rejoiced. We loved. We reveled in the wordplay.
We stayed up way past even the adults' bedtime. It's that good. For all of us.
(The way Ollie’s dad treats his son at the beginning of the book is truly terrible. Don’t be that guy. And depending on your child, you may want to verbally edit some of that out as you read it aloud.)
December 28, 2019
Great children's book. Amazing story and wonderful illustrations. Highly recommend for any family with kids.
May 31, 2022
This is a very daring and risky book. Even as an opossum, Ollie does very many risky things. This is my second time reading it and I absolutely love it!
November 17, 2023
Our whole family really enjoyed listening to the audiobook, read by the author.
July 23, 2022
I didn't love this book. The kids seemed to like it. I really disliked the voice the narrator used for the witch. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Though I did really appreciate all the descriptive language the author used.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews