Og finds the cog

In their entertaining second outing (Og Meets Mog!, rev. 3/24), Og (a gentle turquoise monster) and sidekick Mog (a large, round, catlike creature) are using a tool to "make something cool." Feeling left out, Dog snatches the last cog and drops it into a bog. "Og yells once. Og yells again." In some books, the repetition of sounds can become tedious, but Dyckman's agile deployment comes off as charming and allows children who are just beginning to decode print the opportunity to practice and build confidence in service of a cheerful, relatable story. The strong lines and bold, vaguely retro hues in Elio's images add to the appeal. Characters pop off pages that alternate between double-page spreads and spot illustrations, which controls the pace and gives this straightforward, low-stakes friendship story a feeling of movement and drama. The character design rides the line between cute and weird in a way that will encourage young readers to pick the book off the shelf. In the end, Og executes a plan to get the cog out of the bog, Dog makes amends, and then Og, Mog, and Dog create their "something cool" together. Three cheers for this unique and enjoyable story and friendship team. Adrienne L. PettinelliJuly/August 2024 p.124 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.