Og Meets Mog
(Ready-To-Read Pre-Level 1 - Monster Og)

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