we re out of here! · 2018-04-23 · extremely annoying. d h i mean, right? of r r e n o h e s n e...

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WE’RE OUT OF HERE!

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ALSO BY ELISE GRAVEL

Olga and the Smelly Thing from NowhereThe Cranky Ballerina

I Want a Monster!

Olga: We’re Out of Here!Copyright © 2018 by Elise Gravel

All rights reserved. Manufactured in China.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner

whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins

Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.www.harpercollinschildrens.com

ISBN 978-0-06-235129-6

Typography by Elise Gravel, Dana Fritts, and Andrea Vandergrift17 18 19 20 21 SCP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

v

First Edition


FOR JANE GOODALL

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I’ve been thinking about moving to another planet. I’m half serious about it, too. I know it sounds kind of silly, and probably impossible. But I’d like to hop on the next spacecraft and leave this place.

SEE YA,


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MY BANANA-SHAPED

SPACECRAFT. (AND WHY NOT?)

ME,MY BUDDY,

.

.


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It’s not that I don’t like Earth. I like it a lot! (I’ve only lived here all my life.) There are so many things I like about Earth, like for instance:

THE OCEANS

MY UKULELE

AIR (I DO LIKE

TO BREATHE)

BABIES

MAC AND CHEESE

WITH PICKLES

SUSHI

WATER (ALSO KNOWN

AS H20)

COMIC BOOKS

CHOCOLATE AND CANDY


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And so many things I would miss!

TREES

ICE CREAM

(LOTS OF FOO

D ON

THIS LIST, I R

EALIZE)

ROCKS AND SHELLS

MY BEDMY FRIEND RITA,

THE FRENCH-SPEAKING SPIDER

SALUT!

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

AND BASICALLY

BIG AND SMALL


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The list could go on and on. I can’t believe I didn’t mention bubble bath, gel pens, beetles, movie nights, Play-Doh, hot baths, computers, microscopes, Hallow-een, bonfires, and my pajamas!

. . . and my bike. Sorry, bike. I just hate drawing bikes, but I DO love you, bike.

WHAT ABOUT ME?


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As I said, Earth itself is fine. It’s all the humans who live on it that I’d like to avoid.

Humans are EVERYWHERE on Earth, and they can be extremely annoying.

BAD BREAT

H

RIGHT?I MEAN,

RANDOM TU

FTS

OF HAIR HERE

AND THERE,

FOR

NO GOOD RE

ASON

TENDENCY TO

THROW TRASH

EVERYWHERE

RIDICULOUS

BELLY BUTTON

THINK THEY’R

E

KINGS OF

THE PLANET

UGLY TOES AN

D

SMELLY FEET

EWW,

(MALE VERSION. BUT I’M NOT SEXIST; THE FEMALE VERSION IS JUST AS WEIRD.)

F IG . 1:


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Look, I know that humans do a lot of great things, such as music, or comic books, or pasta. But really, what they do a lot more is fight and destroy the planet.

OTHER THINGS HUMANS DO

THAT I DON’T LIKE:

STEP ON BUGS FOR FUN

STAND TOO CLOSE TO ME, OR EVEN

WORSE, PAT MY HEAD

”FORGET" TO PICK UP THEIR DOG’S POO

MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE

WITH DIFFERENT BODY

SHAPES OR SKIN COLOR

AAAH!

HA HA!

PAT

PAT


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Not ALL of them are annoying, of course. Some are nice, like:

Both are caring and helpful people who I can’t imag-ine would ever throw their garbage in the woods. And I am nice too, even though I’m a human being as far as I know (but I might also be a robot built and pro-grammed by a mad scientist).

But I’ve had enough of the rest of them, especially since I met my very best friend forever. . . .

MS. SWOOP, THE LIBRARIAN

I WILL NAME YOU OLGA.

MY FRIEND CHUCK


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Meh is this extremely awesome creature I discovered a month ago in my trash can. She’s round and pink and soft and smelly and utterly ADORABLE.

MEH.

CUTE

FACEPINK FUR

SMELLY BEHIND

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

LET ME INTRODUCE:


,

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I did lots of research, but I couldn’t find the name of the species she belonged to, so I figured that I had discovered a new animal. Not many new animal spe-cies are discovered nowadays except for bugs and microbes, so it was a pretty big deal for a young scientist like me.

I decided to name the species

after myself, and I think it sounds terrific.

Meh is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!

MY LIFE

AFTER MEH MY LIFE

BEFORE MEH BZZ!


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I won’t describe Meh too much here because I already spent a whole other notebook studying her, but here’s a quick summary:

She sleeps in a trash can.

She’s cuddly.

She only eats olives.

RANDOM INFORMATION ABOUT MEH:

Z


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She says “meh” all the time, except when she’s excited—then she says:

Up close, she looks super scary, like Jaws.

She’s easy to draw from all sides: up, down, front, side.

DOWDOWDOWD!MEH.

SIDE

FRONT

UP

DOWN


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And here are new things I’ve figured out about her since then:

MEH!

AHEM. HELLO!

SHE LIKES HER OLIVES BETTER IF I SERVE THEM IN A

FANCY CRYSTAL BOWL.

EVERY TIME I GO TO THE BATHROOM,

SHE WATCHES ME

WITH AN INTENSE LOOK ON HER FACE.

SHE CAN’T STAND WHEN I TALK ON THE PHONE OR PLAY WITH MY cOMPUTER.

IF YOU PUT

SUNGLASSES

ON HER BEHIND, IT MAKES A REALLY

FUNNY FACE.


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Meh is so special (and weird) that I’m pretty sure she comes from another planet. Since there are no other known Olgamus specimens on Earth, I wonder: Where do her parents come from?

She could be a mix of two existing Earth creatures, like a pig and a capybara* , but I seriously doubt it.

*CAPYBARA: GIANT GUINEA-PIG-LIKE RODENT FROM SOUTH AMERICA.


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Meh is way too peculiar to be from Earth. My alien theory is the only one I like best.

Meh and I will move to another planet. I can take her back where she came from, and then I’ll stay there and keep her company forever. I will get to meet her family, her friends, and her tribe if she has one. That would be

Can you imagine a planet without any humans, just Olgamuses?

MEH!

MEH!

MEH!MEH!

MEH!

MEH!

MEH!


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I can. It would be THE BEST PLANET EVER. Although a bit smelly, if I am judging by the only Olgamus I know.

I would bring a hammock and live there among all the Olgamuses, like Jane Goodall with her chimp friends. I would learn how to communicate with them; I would play them ukulele songs; I would teach them human things.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW . . .


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Here are some of the tricks I would show them:

HOW TO BURP THE ALPHABET

HOW TO CHOREOGRAPH

THE BEST DANCE MOVES

HOW TO MAKE

MAC AND CHEESE WITH PICKLES

HOW TO

READ

IT’S

DELICIOUS,

OLGAMUS

#863!


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Like any great biologist, I would bring a notebook to record my findings, of course. I already have a num-ber of research questions that, so far, haven’t been answered:

1. DO OLGAMUSES

HATCH FROM EGGS?

2. DO THEY HAVE NATURAL ENEMIES OR PREDATORS ON THEIR PLANET?

3. DO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE? MINE ONLY SAYS ”MEH“ ALL THE TIME (AND ”RUBBER

“ WHEN SHE BURPS).

BLUCK

BOK MEH?

BLOPMEH.

DOWDOWDOWDOW


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4. ARE THEY AMPHIBIANS?

5. DO THEY HAVE SPECIAL SKILLS, LIKE SEEING IN THE DARK OR BUILDING NESTS?

6. DO THEY LIVE IN GROUPS, AND DO THEY HAVE A LEADER?

MEH.

BLUCK MEH MEEEH.


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It would be fantastic. Of course, I would also explore their planet. I’m sure it’s a very awesome and inter-esting place. Here’s how I imagine it:

BEAUTIFUL & WEIRD PLANTS


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SLIGHTLY SOFT GROUND, LIKE RUBBER, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS

WALK BAREFOOT

CHOCOLATE VOLCANOE

S

WATERMELON-TASTING WATER

LOW GRAVITY, SO YOU CAN JUST

BOUNCE EVERYWHERE


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One thing I know for sure: There must be olive trees on Meh’s planet, because olives are the only thing she eats. Her planet probably has beautiful olive trees EVERYWHERE! Maybe it looks like Greece, which I found out is totally gorgeous.

(IN MY

IMAGINATION)


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Of course, if I did move to another planet, I’d miss some people from Earth. I would miss my pet spider, Rita, who lives under my sink and speaks French. Or maybe I could bring her with me.

HOUSTON,

NOUS AVONS

UN PROBLEME!

ALSO: DO THEY MAKE SPACE SUITS IN SPIDER SIZES?

MAKE SURE SPIDERS CAN TRAVEL IN SPACE.

/


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Would I miss any humans? Perhaps. The one I’d miss the most would be my friend Chuck.

AIR GUITAR CHAMPION

BIG BRAINS

(UNDERNEATH THE HAIR)

HAIR LIKE GRAVITY-LESS SPAGHETTI

HIS DOG,

MISTER

PERMANENT

STRIPED

SWEATER

FIG . 2:


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Chuck always hangs out at the dog park. I like the dog park too, so I put away my plans to travel into space, and put a leash on Meh, and we go off to the dog park.

Chuck is there, of course, surrounded by dozens of dogs. I tell him about my plans, hoping he’ll want to join us on the trip.

SOUNDS LIKE FUN, OLGA, BUT NO THANKS. I AGREE THAT

HUMANS ARE PAINS IN THE BUTT, BUT I STILL LIKE THEM.


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Chuck is good at making human friends. Much bet-ter than I am. Even his dog, Mister, the ugliest canine specimen in the whole universe, has lots of friends.

WINN ER: MIS

TER

UGLY

F IG . 3:


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Chuck and I became friends the day Mister peed on Meh. We all started hanging out after that; Meh and Mister also became great buddies, running around the park like maniacs, smelling each other’s behinds and licking each other’s faces.


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ACTUALLY, I DON’T KNOW. I SHOULD

FIND OUT.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO LEAVE?

I’D MISS YOU. YEAH . . . I’LL MISS YOU, TOO. I’LL SEND YOU POSTCARDS?

CAN YOU REALLY DO IT, THOUGH? IS IT

POSSIBLE TO TRAVEL TO ANOTHER PLANET?


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Chuck was right to ask. This idea of mine was proba-bly pure fantasy. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been called a dreamer.

But hey, many scientists before me were thought of as crazy before they changed the world, right?

ROBERT GODDARD

LUDWIG BOLTZMANN

GALILEO

IN 1919, HE BELIEVED IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SEND A ROCKET TO THE MOON.

IN 1610, HE BELIEVED

THAT THE EARTH WAS ORBITING

AROUND THE SUN.IN 1880 HE TRIED TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THAT ATOMS AND

MOLECULES EXISTED.


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It was time to do what I do best:


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The easiest place to find info about space travel would be right here at home on the internet, but I felt like going to the library because I have a human friend there: Ms. Swoop. She’s the best librarian ever, and she helped me find Meh about a month ago when I’d lost her, so I like to stop by and say hello from time to time.

Also, I have to admit that I go mostly because I really like to check out comic books. I’m a big comic book fan! Life is not worth living when I don’t have good comic books around.

IT’S HER

SHE’S AWESOME


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I took a sniff, and it was true: although Meh always smells like a mixture of week-old garbage and eggs, today was worse. I’d gotten used to the smell by now, but I could understand Ms. Swoop’s concern.

EW, YOU SMELL EVEN WORSE THAN USUAL.

HI, MS. SWOOP!HELLO, OLGA!

HELLO, MEH. HOW ARE YOU TODAY,

CUTIE?

SNIFF!


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WHAT ARE YOU TWO UP TO TODAY?

WELL, I’VE BEEN THINKING OF MOVING TO

ANOTHER PLANET. I’M TIRED OF

THIS ONE.

TELL ME ABOUT IT. I WISH I COULD GO WITH YOU. WHICH PLANET DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?

I’M TRYING TO FIND

MEH’S PLANET. YOU KNOW, WHERE SHE COMES FROM.

GOOD PLAN! LET’S SEE WHAT

WE HAVE ABOUT SPACE TRAVEL.


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We found a dozen books, and I sat down at my favor-ite table next to the window.

Okay, bad news. Humans HAVE traveled to space, but no human being has made it to another planet. The farthest we’ve been is to the moon. (Apparently, far-ther than that is dangerous. Scientists prefer to send probes and robots.)


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But they ARE working on it, so all hope’s not lost. Science moves quickly. Thirty years ago, nobody knew we would have smartphones by now. Who knows where it could lead us in a couple of years?

I’m still hoping for

TELEPORT

BOOTH

TELEPORT

BOOTH

TELEPORT

BOOTHBIP

B I P

ZAP

1/4 SECOND

LATER:


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Guess what: A lot of women have been to

MEH: FIRST OLGAMUS TO ACCOMPANY A HUMAN IN SPACE

MAE JEMISON: FIRST AFRICAN

AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE, 1993

SALLY RIDE: FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN

IN SPACE, 1983

OLGA: FIRST GIRL TO LIVE ON

ANOTHER PLANET

VALENTINA TERESHKOVA: FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE, 1963

SVETLANA SAVITSKAYA, FIRST WOMAN TO PERFORM A SPACEWALK, 1984 (HOW COOL IS THAT? I WANT TO PERFORM A SPACEWALK)

EILEEN COLLINS: FIRST WOMAN SHUTTLE PILOT AND SHUTTLE

COMMANDER, 1995


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ACCORDING TO THESE BOOKS, PEOPLE DON’T GET TO SPACE BY SITTING AROUND WITH

THEIR FINGERS UP THEIR NOSES. THEY NEED TO WORK HARD AT MATH, PHYSICS, AND

ASTRONOMY. I’M ON TOP OF IT.

1 :

SEE, MEH? THERE’S HOPE! WE CAN’T GO BACK TO YOUR FAMILY NOW, BUT MAYBE SOMEDAY WE WILL. IN THE

MEANTIME, MAYBE I WILL TRY

TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.

MEH.


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“Any luck?” asked Ms. Swoop.

“Not really,” I said. I explained about the limits of space travel.

I thanked Ms. Swoop, took out a few books from the library, put Meh back into my backpack, and went home.

YEAH, I GUESS YOU’RE RIGHT. ANYWAY, I’M A

PATIENT KID. I CAN WAIT UNTIL TECHNOLOGY MAKES IT POSSIBLE.

HMMM. I GUESS IF IT WAS THAT EASY, MANY PEOPLE WOULD LEAVE EARTH, RIGHT? THIS PLACE IS GETTING PRETTY CROWDED.


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I put Meh to bed in her little trash can, gave her two olives as her bedtime snack, and sat down in my lab. I had some studying to do.

RRRRZ

Z


we re out of here! · 2018-04-23 · extremely annoying. d h i mean, right? of r r e n o h e s n e...

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