Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Bog Baby
Illustrator: Gwen Millward
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 7
Random House, 2008 ISBN: 0375861769
One day in spring, two little sisters are naughty. They tell their mother that they are going to Annie’s house, but instead they go to visit a pond in Bluebell Wood to fish for newts. They don’t catch any newts, but they do find something wonderful – a bog baby. Their bog baby is blue, and sweet, and they decide to take him home with them. Of course, they have to keep their bog baby a secret because they lied about going to Annie’s house.
The two sisters create a lovely habitat for the bog bab, and they quite fall in love with him. In fact, every child who meets him falls in love with him because he is such a delightful little creature. All goes well until one day when the bog baby refuses to eat or play. He gets thin and pale. The sisters don’t know what to do because they don’t want to get into trouble, but they also love their bog baby and want to help him.
This utterly delightful book explores the idea that sometimes you have to do something scary to help someone else, and sometimes you have to do something painful because it is the right thing to do. With delightful illustrations and a memorable story about love, sacrifice, courage, and wild things, this is a picture book that will surely delight children for years to come. Have you seen a bog baby in a dell full of bluebells recently?
