02/01/2024
PreS-Gr 1—The most important thing to know about Og, a little blue monster living with his family in what seems to be a prehistoric ice age, is that he is kind. "This is Og. Og is nice." But the other important thing to know about Og is that he's a top-notch problem-solver. After finding a creature stuck in a block of ice, Og perseveres through a handful of attempts to free the beast. He finally succeeds at melting out a giant cat, Mog, who becomes his pet. "Mog is nice! Og AND Mog are twice as nice." The vivid, cheerful cartoon illustrations round out sharp edges, so that Og's horns and his sweet single tooth look more cute than scary. Books for very early readers are under such difficult language constraints that plot often gets sacrificed for the sake of simplicity. Not so here; this story from the inimitable Dyckman is original and fun, as well as perfect for new readers. VERDICT A series starter that will have readers asking for more Og, please!—Rachel Owens
2023-12-06
Thinking turns out to be better than hitting.
Og, unthreatening scion of a family of cartoonish, Popsicle-colored, Play-Doh-y monsters, all horned, with projecting teeth but goofy grins, is out helpfully collecting firewood when he spots a large block of ice with a blue lump inside it. Only two eyes are visible, and when one blinks, Og yelps. After futilely bashing the ice with sticks for a while, Og decides to use his brain instead of brute force. Lacking tools, he karate-chops two trees to make rollers, finds rope, slides the block onto the logs, and pulls it home. The tiny fire in his yard melts the huge ice block, and quite surprisingly something orange and furry begins to emerge. Somehow, the ice was hiding an enormous marmalade cat (in British nursery slang, a “mog”). Og is nice, Mog is nice, and together, Og and Mog are “twice as nice.” Besides being big enough for Og to ride, as a bonus, helpful Mog chases off the mice that have been plaguing Og and his family. Rollicking rhymed verses, almost-monosyllabic vocabulary, and super-large type will attract beginning readers, who might also enjoy the wacky, harmless mini-monsters.
Very easy words, a small hero, and enough action to keep the pages turning. (Early reader. 4-8)
