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CM . . . . Volume XXII Number 23 . . . . February 19, 2016
excerpt:
Although the ABCB rhyme scheme is known as Simple 4-line, there is nothing simple about using it successfully. Author Sheri-Lynn Kenny has set herself a difficult challenge by choosing this writing style, and unfortunately the result is not as satisfying as it might have been if she had chosen a simpler narrative style for Battle of Bogs Hollow. The storyline is well-intentioned: the animals want to stop the humans from destroying their habitat, but the verse and plot line are both labored. The colourful illustrations of Frances Espanol are the saving grace in this picture book. The final page with all of the happy animals smiling in their new homes is charming, even though the message is confusing. The animals have found new homes where they feel safe, but is it really a happy ending that the original habitat of the animals was made uninhabitable by humans and their machines? As well intentioned as this book is, I can't recommend Battle of Bogs Hollow. There are better choices for books about the importance of preserving animal habitat. Not Recommended. Suzanne Pierson is a retired teacher-librarian, currently instructing Librarianship courses at Queen's University in Kingston, ON.
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