Virgil & Owen

November 1, 2014
A bow tie-resplendent penguin finds a fluffy polar bear and declares he is going to keep him.Displaying a fierce possessiveness (not unfamiliar to toddlers), Virgil the penguin tells Owen, "You are my polar bear....Come with me." But Owen has too much fun sliding with the seals and splashing with the terns. Virgil repeats his refrain, getting more and more angry: "You are my polar bear! Come with me!" Finally, (also true to toddler form) Virgil stomps away, flops onto the snow and has a tantrum. As a solution, Owen offers the tentative suggestion that they all play together. Deceptively simple, this lesson in friendship may strike some adults as shocking-Virgil never even asks Owen his name. It's important to remember, though, that children need to learn how to be social, which this book wisely acknowledges. It beautifully captures how some toddlers enter play groups or friendships with force because they don't know any other way. Perhaps this unlikely duo from opposite polar ends of the ice caps will help struggling toddlers become more self-aware of friendship faux pas. A story so simple it appears to only skim the surface, but it just might be what territorial toddlers need to hear. (Picture book. 2-5)

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November 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Virgil is a penguin with control issues. He decides a polar bear will become his personal property and expresses his alarmed displeasure when the bear ventures out on his own and plays in the ocean with terns, slides with seals, and dances on the ice with penguins. Each time the polar bear expresses his independent nature, Virgil becomes increasingly possessive, through pointed commands. Fed up with the bear's willful streak, Virgil decides to put a stop to all the funny business. "'Stop it, ' said Virgil, 'You are my polar bear! Come with me!'" Owen calmly addresses the penguin's bullying behavior with a retort of his own. "'No, ' said the polar bear, 'and my name is Owen.'" When Virgil finally realizes that his demanding tactics don't work, he decides it is more fun to make friends. The spreads are saturated in shades of blue, and the animated facial expressions add emotional depth. Wavy lines emphasize the action between the characters. Powerful pacing shines with each page turn as the pair develops a healthier connection. Though it initially appears otherwise, the relationship between Virgil and Owen may just be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.-Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

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