A Look at the ‘Swapped’ Book ‘Ollie’s Big Adventure’ With Author Maggie Testa

Picture Credit: Simon & Schuster

Following the global debut of Skydance Animation’s Swapped on May 1st—which is currently breaking Netflix records—fans of the new animated feature have a new way to explore the valley.

Releasing as an official companion to the hit film, Ollie’s Big Adventure is a gorgeous new board book that brings the magic of the movie to younger readers. We’ve got you a look at the vibrant interior spreads, plus a Q&A with the prolific children’s author, Maggie Testa.

What to Expect from Ollie’s Big Adventure

Based on the feature film, the board book distills the sprawling adventure of Swapped into a fun-filled, accessible format for children that pulls directly from the film. 

As you no doubt know, the story centers on Ollie, a tiny, fuzzy Pookoo (the smallest and most vulnerable creature in the valley), and Ivy, a beautiful Javan bird whose species happens to eat the Pookoo’s main food source. When a glowing magic pod causes the two natural competitors to magically switch bodies, they have to learn to work together to survive in a world that is both awe-inspiring and highly dangerous. Ultimately, the survival of both the Pookoo and the Javan species depends on Ollie and Ivy’s ability to navigate their new realities.

Early previews of the interior spreads reveal lush, colorful artwork capturing the exact moment of the body swap—complete with a Boom! Crash! Poof!—as well as their encounter with a lonely fish named Boogle.

Picture Credit: Simon & Schuster

Q&A with Author Maggie Testa

To get a behind-the-scenes look at how a cinematic world translates to the page, we spoke with author Maggie Testa. Testa is no stranger to adapting beloved properties, having previously written successful tie-in books for Peanuts, Cocomelon, and Daniel Tiger, amongst many beloved properties.

At what stage in the production of Swapped did you become involved in writing Ollie’s Big Adventure, and what was your initial reaction when the project was presented to you?

I became involved after the publisher had made the deal with Skydance Animation. I was thrilled to adapt such a beautiful story in a board book format.

How closely did you work with the film’s director and the Skydance Animation team? Were you looking at early storyboards or animation tests to help capture the visual style and tone of the film?

I worked very closely with them. Not only did I receive a script and stills, Skydance Animation was also able to provide an animatic so I could really get a feel for the pacing of the film and how the voice actors delivered their lines.

When you first read the premise for Swapped, what struck you the most about the story? What core message did you immediately know you wanted to highlight?

Ollie and Ivy are so relatable! Whether they are old enough to realize it or not, I think kids will see aspects of their own personalities in both characters and I really wanted to give readers a chance to get to know these characters even more deeply in a storybook. And because they are so relatable, I hope that kids come away from the movie—and the book—feeling a little more empathetic and open to seeing something from another’s perspective.

You’ve written many successful tie-in books for beloved properties. How does your approach change when adapting a brand-new, unreleased feature film compared to working with well-established television characters?

What a good question! I think with both an established property or something totally brand-new, the goal is the same: to write something that feels fresh and fun for a child to read (or to be read to). There’s an added layer of responsibility when adapting a new property because you’re establishing a reader’s reception to new characters, so you really want to make sure you are enhancing the fan’s experience.

Movie tie-in books often serve as a child’s very first interaction with a cinematic world. What is your secret to writing a tie-in that stands on its own as a compelling storybook, rather than just feeling like a movie summary?

You have to make sure any reader can understand the story as written, without having seen the movie, so the number one priority for the editor and me is to make sure the story stands on its own. So the first thing I do is write that first draft as though I haven’t seen the movie and that the story is starting from scratch.

You can purchase and learn more about Ollie’s Big Adventure via the Simon & Schuster website.