Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. A fun middle grade read about talking animals and magic. I know a lot of kids who would love this book.

Olaf and Essex is an appealing and well written middle grade adventure fantasy by Patti Calkosz. Released 13th Oct 2024, it's 369 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is such a fun and well written fantasy set in an alternate NYC and featuring an appealing cast of whimsical characters including anthropomorphic animals (Olaf and Essex are intelligent animals, a bear and fox respectively). Olaf accidentally foils a kidnapping gone wrong and acquires a magically competent baby whom he naturally wishes to protect and return to its parents. Hijinks ensue.

The book is enhanced throughout by incidental illustrations beautifully rendered by illustrator Xiao. Although quite simple stylistically, they're full of small details and movement.

Apparently the first in a series (The Magic Competents), there's not yet publishing info available about book two.

Four stars. Well worth a look for all ages, though it's ostensibly aimed at middle grades and up.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley and __ for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

Olaf and Essex tells the story of a bear and a fox who rescue a human baby from a witch. Together, they work to raise her and begin to heal their past experiences. I had high, high hopes for this book. I've been in a middle-grade kick lately, and the premise sounded adorable! But I found the execution to be quite lacking. Of course, I am not the target audience, but I found a lot of issues in this story. I found it to be rather boring and also confusing at times. I felt that the author tried hard to convey to the reader that the animals knew nothing of humans and yet quite a bit at the same time, but it fell flat to me. There were several moments where I questioned if something they knew made sense or vice versa. I feel it would have been better if the author either had the animals know everything about humans (it is a magical story, so not out of the realm of possibility) or nothing at all.

That being said, I did enjoy the book at times. I found the premise to be cozy and the storyline to be engaging once you got past the boring bits. I'm curious to know what children think of this book and if they enjoy it more than me. This book just wasn't quite what I had expected, so I give it 2/5 stars. I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future!

I thought this book was so cute. I enjoyed the characters of Olaf and Essex. Patti Calkosz did an amazing job with this book. It was cute, entertaining, and kept me interested. I would highly recommend this book for middle grade. I think it is a good read for that age group. I can't wait to see more come from this author.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Pretty Cool

Reminiscent of the Jungle Book, Olaf and Essex by Patti Calkosz is the story of two animal friends who foster a magical human child in a big park in a city. There are, of course, complications, and plenty of amusing characters and adventures.

CW: Animal death. I would recommend this for middle-grade readers. I enjoyed reading it, though, even if I am considerably outside the target age group.

Here's my money, give me more Olaf and Essex stories. Cute, compelling and entertainign.
Good stotelling and plot development
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Promoted as a middle reader book I expected something totally different. A YA book I could get behind, but there’s just too many variables in this to work as a middle reader for me. Lots of animal deaths, which almost never goes over in middle readers, dysfunctional relationships and bullying that’s context I feel would be lost on younger readers. Personally I enjoyed the book for myself. Lots of references to Shakespeare, allegorical components about otherness, and a spiritual side all make this an interesting read, just not a middle reader read.


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

While Olaf and Essex offers moments of humor and intrigue, its intended audience is unclear. Marketed for ages 8 to 12, the book contains themes and vocabulary that feel out of sync with that age range. For example, the book oscillates between several POVs. Some of which delve into mature territory, such as Chief Detector Thomas grappling with feelings of resentment toward his new child—an authentic adult experience, but one that is not age appropriate for younger readers.
The vocabulary is similarly inconsistent. Most words are appropriate for middle-grade readers, but sporadic choices like "visage" lack sufficient context, making them difficult for younger audiences to grasp. This unevenness could make the book frustrating for independent readers but potentially engaging as a read-aloud. Parents and or educators would likely need to define some of the words as they read to help the young audience make sense of the text.
The author’s occasional quippy one-liners add charm, but references like a nod to Macbeth will likely fly over the heads of the target age group. At times, the narrative even risks alienating readers—for instance, a scene where a character is insulted for having a "grade 3 vocabulary" might feel demeaning a child reading the book.
Overall, Olaf and Essex has clever moments and a creative premise but struggles to strike a balance between mature themes and a younger audience's accessibility. It may appeal to advanced readers or as a family read-aloud with adult guidance.

Olaf the bear and Essex the fox, both friends, find a kidnapped baby and take care of it, then try to return the kid to its rightful parents. They get mixed up with witches and the magic police force, all while trying to feed and care for a powerfully magical baby. Unbeknownst to Olaf and Essex the fox, there is human intrigue and crime happening around them, with anti-witch legislation at stake.

There was a lot a lot going on in this book. In addition to a lovely friendship between the clever, kind and grieving Essex and the grieving Olaf, there are arguments between sister witches, a cat hurt by her experiences with some humans who is looking for her former person, a police officer intent on constraining magic, an abusive marriage between two adults, visits from ghosts, so much travel around the city, and probably more.

I found the book too long, the story at times surprisingly dark for what is meant to be a book for 9-12 year-olds, a plot that felt disjointed at times and just kept going to places that could perhaps have been trimmed out for a tighter story.

So, what I liked:
-The illustrations:
-Olaf the bear: sweet, caring, conscientious
-Essex the fox: smart, clever, the one with the plan, caring, always learning

What did not work for me:
-I could not keep Helga and Hilda straight in my mind
-Lots of animal deaths, some at the hands of humans. Death is part of life, but all it made me feel was that the cat was totally right about humanity
-I sometimes could not tell if the author was referring to the human child or the cat, who was named Baby
-The story's tone was much darker than I expected, as it was full of cruelty
-The cover gave me the impression this would be a charming, amusing story of two friends, but instead was more about the controlling of those with magical powers

Overall rating: 2 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Pretty Cool for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a delightful, but complicated story of a good-hearted bear named Olaf. He lives with his fox friend, Essex, and a small, white cat named Baby. All three have endured the loss of a loved one and are still suffering those losses, so when Olaf stumbles across a man and woman arguing and then leaving their infant behind, he immediately takes the infant home to his friends to help care for it. It turns out that the arguing couple weren't even the babies parents but an evil witch and her husband who had kidnapped the baby of a witch-hunting detective in an effort to force the release of imprisoned witches. Olaf and his friends go face hurdles and lots of soul-searching as they attempt to care for the infant and decide what's best for it.
This novel is by turns funny, adventurous, and melancholy. It has spiritual, magical elements, and the New York setting is not current-day NYC but one slightly different in several aspects, possibly a future or alternate NY. I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. It was far deeper than I anticipated a novel about animal friends would be. This book should appeal to middle grade and young adult readers as well as adults who enjoy a whimsical but moving story.

This is such a sweet and original book that explores how family can have a lot of meanings and why it’s so important. It’s a really heartwarming book and one I will read to my class gladly.

Review:

"Olaf and Essex" by Patti Calkosz is a captivating and poignant novel that explores the transformative power of friendship and love. This beautifully crafted story follows the journey of Olaf, a charming and eccentric artist, and Essex, a young woman navigating life's challenges.

Plot:

The narrative unfolds in 1980s New York City, where Olaf and Essex's lives intersect. As they form an unlikely bond, they confront their pasts, embrace their quirks, and discover the beauty of human connection.

Writing Style:

Calkosz's prose is characterized by:

1. Vibrant, descriptive language
2. Well-developed, relatable characters
3. Emotional depth and sensitivity
4. Witty dialogue and humor

Themes:

1. The power of friendship and community
2. Embracing individuality and creativity
3. Overcoming trauma and finding healing
4. Love, loss, and self-discovery

Strengths:

1. Unique, memorable characters
2. Evocative portrayal of 1980s NYC
3. Poignant exploration of human connection
4. Uplifting, hopeful tone

Weaknesses:

1. Pacing issues in some sections
2. Supporting character development could be enhanced

This is a beautiful, often thoughtful and very sad but also amusing book. Olaf is an innocent but massive bear living in Central Park with his best friend, Essex, a widowed fox who misses her kits, and Baby, a cantankerous and disgruntled cat who was thrown away by her child owners parents and is consistently seeking her believed Betty to reunite. By coincidence, Olaf saves a magically inclined baby from an evil witch and her bumbling husband, and brings her back to their cave, intending to raise her in honor of his own lost mother. Essex is honor bound to return the child to her true parents but is she willing to break Olaf’s heart to do it? And is he willing to lose her friendship to keep the baby? Who is right? Is there only one right, and in the end is close companionship stronger than a sense of morals, or is standing by your friend always the right thing? This book deals with man moral and complex emotional issues, including loss, grief, and responsibility. It also has lots of fun playful illustrations and comical antics by animals and witches trapped in a human word. It is often heart warming and tender with its deeply felt tenderness and kindness. I loved the witch sisters, Hilda and Helga. The baby, dubbed “ Football” by Essex and Olaf, is adorable, and even the villains had their amusing and charming moments. Great read, very fun and engrossing.

A bear and a fox must take care of and protect a baby from some NYPD’s Chief Magic Detector. One detail: the baby magic is the son of the anti-magic director.
Olaf and Essex is a story that immerses you in adventure, with deep and fun characters that take you through the story they have to tell. You instantly fall in love with Olaf and Essex seems captivating. In my opinion, both characters are like the two sides of the decision of What is the best way to protect the baby? The story has a youthful tone that makes it easy to read. but it is also accompanied by beautiful illustrations that make reading very enjoyable.

this was such a cute and touching read! the sense of adventure and wonder brought me back to the days of narnia and roald dahl.

suitable for younger readers but it was surprisingly enjoyable as an adult too!

big thank you @patticalkosz for the physical arc 🤎

p.s. your author’s note spoke to me and I appreciate you creating this novel from that

this was such a cute and touching read! the sense of adventure and wonder brought me back to the days of narnia and roald dahl.

suitable for younger readers but it was surprisingly enjoyable as an adult too!

big thank you @patticalkosz for the physical arc 🤎

p.s. your author’s note spoke to me and I appreciate you creating this novel from that

THis was a charming story about a bear and a fox rescuing a baby from her evil witch mother. It reminded me a little bit of The Lion King when Simba goes to live with Timone and Pumba. I loved the illustrations throughout the book and the stream-of-consciousness way of writing. Death in the book was handled tactfully and gracefully. Overall this would be a great adventure story for any kids who love animals and wonder what it would be like to be raised by them while also making friends along the way with some witches.

I did not enjoy the book. I'm not certain what the target audience could be. Some aspects of the book are for the young reader, other scenarios and characters are middle reader, and then some of the concepts, (the Police chief and his relationship with wife and adult daughter) are young adult reader level. The book was just all over the place and the story was just a jumble of scenes that didn't always seem necessary to the plot. I would not recommend this book to anyone,

I loved the unique idea of the book. While Olaf and Essex were adorable, the story seems to stretch on unnecessarily.

I liked this unique story, I love the connections between humans and animals. I have dropped one star because some of the grammar seemed off but the illustrations are beautiful and it is an ARC after all.