Virgil & Owen Stick Together

November 2, 2015
The eponymous stars of Virgil & Owen are back, and penguin Virgil is still pretty pushy where polar bear Owen is concerned. Virgil has little patience for Owen’s slower-paced approach to life, finishing writing Owen’s name in the snow, completing a story the bear is telling, and grabbing Virgil’s sandwich out of his paws (“Lunch is over! Hurry up!”). This is a bridge too far for Owen, whose roar lets Virgil know he has overstepped, setting the stage for a speedy reconciliation. Both characters’ personalities come through clearly in the text and artwork, making for an amusing and helpful reminder of the pluses and minuses of an opposites-attract friendship. Ages 4–8. Agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary.

November 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Virgil, a penguin, and Owen, a polar bear, are best friends who do everything together. Owen loves math, writing his name, storytime, and lunch, but Virgil is always rushing him to finish these things. Owen gets so frustrated that he roars at Virgil, sending him flying into a pile of snow. The pals gently apologize to each other. The pen, watercolor, and gouache illustrations work nicely for the Arctic setting and are pleasing in their detail, color scheme, and expressiveness. Owen learns that he should tell Virgil if he is upset, and Virgil learns that he needs to be more considerate of Owen's feelings. This charming selection teaches kids that sometimes it takes a little bit of compromise to make a friendship work. VERDICT A good pick for storytimes, and a sweet general purchase for most collections.-Liz Anderson, D.C. Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Virgil and Owen, from their previous eponymous title, might be best friends, but Virgil still has some friendship lessons to learn. Owen, the lumpy polar bear, likes to take his time. He walks to school slowly, practices writing his name very deliberately, and munches on his lunch with slow, measured bites. Penguin Virgil, however, rushes through life with the force of a tornado. Whenever Owen starts something, Virgil jumps in and finishes. Owen's frustration slowly builds until he can't take it anymore and lets out a loud, "RROOAARRR." Virgil, who goes flying, has plenty of time to think about his actions while stuck up to his beak in snow. Ostensibly about Virgil slowing down to learn patience, Bogan's story explores a common toddler impulse]interruption]with sensitivity and humor. Owen counts snowballs: "One] two] three]," and Virgil jumps in to toss three more on the pile with a glib, "Four, five, SIX. Easy peasy, my friend." It's a great discussion starter on reading friends' cues (Owen presents some very obvious looks of shock, dismay, and anger) and learning to control the temptation to jump in. A welcome glimpse into child sensibilities. (Picture book. 2-5)

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November 15, 2015
Grades K-2 In this story about patience, the eponymous heroes find that being best friends can sometimes be a challenge. Virgil, a penguin, loves being the first at everything, which irks Owen, a meandering polar bear, who likes to enjoy life at a slower pace. Owen takes too long, at least according to Virgil, to finish everything, so the penguin steps in and finishes it for him. Readers will see the conflict coming to a head before Virgil does, but Owen's aggravated RROOOOOAR might still take young ones by surprise. But don't fret; like true friends, Virgil and Owen make up, and both resolve to do better. The endless white of the polar environment can seem stark at times, but Bogan uses her cartoonish characters to great effect. Virgil's jaunty bow tie and boundless energy make for a fun contrast to Owen's huge body and lumbering gait. Though the story is never preachy, this still will offer plenty of opportunities for conversations about patience, friendship, and forgiveness, and the snowy high jinks make for a fun storytime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
In their second book, overeager penguin Virgil finishes polar bear Owen's joke, his sandwich, and so on. The book is like a primer in navigating a friendship's occasional snags: while kids can't roar their anger like Owen, they can use their words, and, like Virgil, say "I'm sorry." The pen, watercolor, and gouache art captures both the tenderness and the slapstick.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)