Pog

By Author / Illustrator

P draig Kenny

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Chicken House Ltd

ISBN

9781911490395

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-04-2019

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of TIN comes an unforgettable story of family, magic and home ...'A fantastical tale of monsters and grief, family and love, and a thrilling middle-grade adventure with real depth and heart.' The Bookseller, Book of the Month'Poignant, strange, full of folkloric menace and delight, Pog fulfils the promise of Kenny's extraordinary debut, Tin.' GUARDIANA terrific book with echoes of The Spiderwick Chronicles and Five Children and It, I loved it!' IRISH INDEPENDENT David and Penny's strange new home is surrounded by forest. It's the childhood home of their mother, who's recently died. But other creatures live here ... magical creatures, like tiny, hairy Pog. He's one of the First Folk, protecting the boundary between the worlds. As the children explore, they discover monsters slipping through from the place on the other side of the cellar door. Meanwhile, David is drawn into the woods by something darker, which insists there's a way he can bring his mother back ...'One of a kind. Utterly fantastic.' Eoin Colfer on Tin

Download Extract

Reviews

I have to confess to being almost frightened to read Pog. I loved Tin so much that I was almost scared I'd be disappointed by Padraig Kenny's next book. Whilst I think that Tin will remain one of my all-time favourite children's books, Pog is absolutely excellent and a cracking good read. One of the aspects of Padraig Kenny's books is that they remind you of other books you have read, whilst at the same time remaining completely original stories. This one made me think of A Monster Calls and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and yet is nothing like either of them. David and Penny move into their old family house after their mother dies. The house is situated in a forest and the house appears to have a small furry creature living in the attic. There are also other, rather less friendly creatures, lurking in the vicinty. The setting is gloomy and foreboding and the tension is palpable from the off. I also want to mention the beautiful cover and illustrations by Jane Newland. The cover exactly captures form the essence of the story, with the colours and the gloom in one gorgeous picture. Whilst this book deals with grief and sadness, it is still an exciting and thought-provoking adventure. The villain is one of the more terrifying creations I have read about and yet is still unlikely to scare children. My 11-year-old loved this book (he stole it from me as soon as it arrived) and I think he missed a lot of what scared me and just saw it as an exciting plot filled with rich characters. Whereas I would not suggest a Year 4 or 5 child should read A Monster Calls, I do think this book makes a similar topic more accessible. The element of fantasy is different and less troubling, mainly due to the character of Pog. Pog is the device to ease the tension, he is amusing whilst at the same time heroic. This book shows that Tin was definitely not a one off and the Padraig Kenny is an author to look out for in children's fantasy writing. I can't wait for the next one! 288 pages / Ages 9+ / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher.