The story jumps back in time, to when the city had a permanent carnival on the grounds. There was a booth where children could throw balls at a wooden clown named Zozo. If their throw knocked Zozo off of his perch, the child was allowed to pick a prize. Zozo the clown loved to see the children laugh, and to see the prize-toys carried off in the hands of a delighted child. But conditions changed, and the carnival became run down. The original owner of the Zozo booth was replaced by a gruff owner. Everything became dilapidated and worn. But Zozo persevered because one prize toy hanging on the wall was the beautiful doll Nina. Zozo loved Nina - and then disaster struck: a little girl carried Nina away. As the years pass, Zozo was left alone in an abandoned booth, on carnival grounds that the no one ever visited any more. Zozo's is enraged by his abandonment, and as the booth collapses into the ground, Zozo the clown vows dire revenge.

In a dark underground chamber, the angry Zozo constructs an army of small minions using old nails, springs, dust balls, scraps of trash and other castoffs. These minions are called Creeps, and they delight in being bad. To a casual observer, a Creep might merely look like a random pile of litter. At Zozo's behest, the Creeps prowl the neighborhood, stealing favorite toys from inattentive children. If Zozo cannot have his beloved Nina, then no child shall be permitted to enjoy their own favorite toy.

Naturally, the Creeps spot Billy and his favorite Ollie. The Creeps begin spying and making dastardly plans.

One fateful day, Billy and his parents are to attend a wedding. It seems like a tremendous A-venture - there will be wedding cake. Billy is told he cannot bring Ollie to such a formal event, but Billy goes everywhere with Ollie. Why not carry him along hidden in a backpack? What could go wrong...?

Ollie's Odyssey will seem like quite an adventure (oops, I meant to say A-venture) to young readers. Joyce is careful to not make the bad guys too scary, the perils that Billy faces are not too frightening. Billy does eventually confront the evil Zozo and his host of evil Creeps, but the climatic battle is devoid of bloodshed or graphic violence.

I have ordered more of Joyce's books from the library. They are picture books, and some of the pictures are impressive. I really like the art in the Jack Frost story book.