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Bogan, Paulette
10 Reviews
(3)
K-3
In their second book, overeager penguin Virgil finishes polar bear Owen's joke, his sandwich, and so on. The book is like a primer in navigating a friendship's occasional snags: while kids can't roar their anger like Owen, they can use their words, and, like Virgil, say "I'm sorry." The pen, watercolor, and gouache art captures both the tenderness and the slapstick.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
K-3
Flossy is very bossy. But when she meets Edward, who is just as bossy as she is, Flossy learns that it doesn't feel good when someone tells you what to do. Text and speech bubbles work together to convey the know-it-alls' believable transformation and new friendship. Bogan's childlike illustrations, rendered with mixed media in a collage style, pop on the brightly colored backgrounds.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
(3)
K-3
"I found a polar bear, Mom...and I'm keeping him." Proprietary penguin Virgil doesn't like it when his new "pet," Owen, takes charge of his own fun: "The polar bear splished and splashed with the terns. Everyone laughed. Virgil did not laugh." The friends-not-pets message is delivered with a light hand. Cartoony pen and watercolor illustrations show one miffed penguin and a carefree polar bear.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(3)
PS
Tired of being "too little," Goodnight Lulu's wee chick decides to go "far, far away." However, she reconsiders after several close calls with much larger farm animals. Lulu's pluck is as endearing as Momma's constant oversight is reassuring. The watercolor and ink illustrations get across Lulu's relative diminutiveness--and her outsized sense of righteous indignation.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
K-3
On an outing with her mother, Rachael the cat tries to convince her skeptical cousin David (a dog) that Momma can find absolutely anything in her magical purse. Indeed, Momma extracts an increasingly preposterous series of objects from her handbag, including rain gear, a huge picnic lunch, and a Rescue Kit. Bogan's cartoon-style illustrations embroider on the exaggerations in the amusing text.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
After Momma Chicken tucks Lulu into her barn bed, she describes how she will fend off various ferocious animals who may come along. Meanwhile, two eavesdropping pigs are getting increasingly unnerved by the talk. This funny, original, and reassuring tale ends with Momma tucking all three into Lulu's bed. The saturated watercolor and ink spreads deftly capture the night's ominous as well as cozy qualities.
Reviewer: Patricia Riley
(4)
PS
Poor Spike is being blamed for all sorts of messes that he didn't create (Mom's garden has been trashed, one of Dad's boots is in tatters), but he's sent to obedience school anyway. When he finally catches the true culprit in the act, it's a surprise to everyone but sharp-eyed readers who spot the sneak throughout the amusing illustrations. A weak conclusion doesn't help the familiar, if time-tested, plot.
Reviewer: Susan Halperin
(4)
K-3
In his third picture book, Spike spends the night in a kennel for the first time. Everything about the experience is strange and scary, until a nighttime romp in the yard with the other dogs shows him kennels aren't so bad. The expressive cartoon watercolors imbue the book with zest where the flat telling does not, though young readers will relate to Spike's feelings.
Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler
(4)
PS
Shannon takes her dog Spike on his first visit to the big city. Overwhelmed by all of the new sights and sounds, he temporarily loses track of her, but they're happily reunited by the end. Though the story never gains a lot of momentum, the dog's-eye view of city life is playfully rendered in bright illustrations that involve the reader in Spike's city adventure.
Reviewer: Susan Halperin
(4)
PS
Spike, tired of being a dog, runs away but finds he isn't very good at being other animals, including a horse, a chicken, and a fish. When he returns home, his owner, delighted to see him, tells him he's a good dog, and Spike realizes that's just what he is. Although the story line is unoriginal, Spike is appealing because of Bogan's bright, simple illustrations.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
10 reviews
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