The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward (From Worcester News)

The Bog Baby

Written by Jeanne Willis, Illustrated by Gwen Millward

Puffin, £5.95



You don't have to believe in bog babies to enjoy this book, but it helps if you do!



When two small sisters go fishing in the magic pond they find something much better than a frog or a newt. They find a bog baby, and decide to make him their secret.



But depite the love of his captors, the bog baby pines and so delivers a moral message to young readers about the sanctity of wildlife and the environment.



This fairytale evokes the fantastical worlds we created in our imaginations when we were children; worlds where woods were places of mystery and ponds teemed with slippery, slimy creatures.



The bog baby's watery habitat is rendered in meticulous detail by Millward's dream-like illustrations, while Willis's words are simple yet poetical.




Our four-year-old was entranced by the story, and especially enjoyed the report card at the back of the book urging readers to record sighting of their own bog babies: Where did you find him? What was his favourite food? How many toes did he have?



Now, that would make for an interesting discussion in the nature studies class.



John Wilson