Virgil & Owen

by Paulette Bogan

Overview

Every great friendship started somewhere, but here's a story of how not to make friends…

When Virgil the penguin finds a lost polar bear, Owen, he wants Owen all to himself. He will be the only penguin with a polar bear as a best friend! But this Owen plays with everyone else on the iceberg! Isn't Owen supposed to be Virgil's friend and Virgil's friend only?
With a gentle twist on this classic childhood dilemma, Paulette Bogan introduces a new charming and lovable duo to readers in this picture book with audio.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619635142
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	01/27/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

PAULETTE BOGAN is the author/illustrator of many beloved books for children, including the Spike books for Putnam, and for Bloomsbury, Goodnight Lulu (a Childrens' Book of the Month Club Main Selection) and Lulu the Big Little Chick (a Children's Choice Book Award), She also illustrated two books by Aaron Reynolds, Chicks and Salsa (A Children's BookSense Pick) and Buffalo Wings. She is a terrific presenter to schools, and the mother of three wonderful daughters. She lives with her family in New York City.

www.paulettebogan.com
PAULETTE BOGAN is the author and illustrator of many beloved books for children, including Virgil&Owen, Goodnight Lulu, and Lulu the Big Little Chick. She is also the illustrator of Chicks and Salsa and Buffalo Wings, written by Aaron Reynolds. Lulu the Big Little Chick won the Children's Choice Book Award. Paulette lives with her family and her dogs, Spikey and Mufasa, in New York City.

www.paulettebogan.com

Editorial Reviews

Beautifully captures how some toddlers enter play groups or friendships with force because they don't know any other way. Perhaps this unlikely duo from opposite polar ends of the ice caps will help struggling toddlers become more self-aware of friendship faux pas.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

11/01/2014
PreS-Gr 2—Virgil is a penguin with control issues. He decides a polar bear will become his personal property and expresses his alarmed displeasure when the bear ventures out on his own and plays in the ocean with terns, slides with seals, and dances on the ice with penguins. Each time the polar bear expresses his independent nature, Virgil becomes increasingly possessive, through pointed commands. Fed up with the bear's willful streak, Virgil decides to put a stop to all the funny business. "'Stop it,' said Virgil, 'You are my polar bear! Come with me!'" Owen calmly addresses the penguin's bullying behavior with a retort of his own. "'No,' said the polar bear, 'and my name is Owen.'" When Virgil finally realizes that his demanding tactics don't work, he decides it is more fun to make friends. The spreads are saturated in shades of blue, and the animated facial expressions add emotional depth. Wavy lines emphasize the action between the characters. Powerful pacing shines with each page turn as the pair develops a healthier connection. Though it initially appears otherwise, the relationship between Virgil and Owen may just be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

School Library Journal

2014-10-22
A bow tie-resplendent penguin finds a fluffy polar bear and declares he is going to keep him.Displaying a fierce possessiveness (not unfamiliar to toddlers), Virgil the penguin tells Owen, "You are my polar bear.…Come with me." But Owen has too much fun sliding with the seals and splashing with the terns. Virgil repeats his refrain, getting more and more angry: "You are my polar bear! Come with me!" Finally, (also true to toddler form) Virgil stomps away, flops onto the snow and has a tantrum. As a solution, Owen offers the tentative suggestion that they all play together. Deceptively simple, this lesson in friendship may strike some adults as shocking—Virgil never even asks Owen his name. It's important to remember, though, that children need to learn how to be social, which this book wisely acknowledges. It beautifully captures how some toddlers enter play groups or friendships with force because they don't know any other way. Perhaps this unlikely duo from opposite polar ends of the ice caps will help struggling toddlers become more self-aware of friendship faux pas. A story so simple it appears to only skim the surface, but it just might be what territorial toddlers need to hear. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews