Ok, so I didn’t read it myself. But it’s still my first chapter book, and unfortunately I don’t really remember what happens past the bizarre basics.
When searching for pictures to put in this blog youtube automatically came up with a movie or OVA series for the novels made in the 80s, and further wikking tells me that there is a TV show airing now about the book. I’m not sure the experience is the same. I’m glad I read the book as a little kid and didn’t see the show.
The Secret World of Og, as far as I can remember was actually by a Canadian author and followed for kids. Peter, Pamela, Penny, and Pollywog. Pollywog was a baby of limited vocabulary and ends up being snatched by the inhabitants of Og who can enter the children’s playhouse through a trapped door in the floor. They are green people and from the drawings I can still see in my head they had long finger, long ears, and wore no clothes.
The thing that I remember most about the book was vibrancy and humor. There were several mix-ups and misunderstandings as the siblings try to get Pollywog back from the people of Og. In the end, as with most children’s books it ends happily. I do remember feeling sad at the end. Somehow I think it managed to capture that bit of nostalgia and regret that comes when the kids at the end of the novels must grow up and give up childish things. I doubt the children really ever went back to Og.
I loved it a lot as I kid. I still remember being bored in the library at age 5 or 6 as my mom looked for books to read for me (even then libraries bored me apparently). She picked it out, and I’m sure I made her check the book out several times after that. And then I guess the library got rid of its copy and I stopped reading it; moved on to bigger things. Still, the book has stuck with me and I’m sure my brother ended up being given a copy years and years ago. It’s probably buried in our basement somewhere.
