The Secret World of Og

by Pierre Berton

alternate cover edition of ISBN 0771013868 / 9780771013867
Of all his dozens of books, Pierre Berton considers The Secret World of Og his favourite--no doubt because it was inspired by his own offspring. Originally published in 1961 and illustrated by his daughter Patsy Berton ("who was there"), the wry children's fable about a society of funny green creatures who can only say "Og" has sold over 200,000 copies. This special, large-format edition features 150 of Patsy Berton's zany illustrations as well as a new foreword.

Penny, Pamela, Patsy, and their little brother Peter are bewildered when they discover that the baby (better known as the "Pollywog") has inexplicably disappeared from their playhouse during a game of tea party. When Pamela, the family dreamer, remembers noticing a miniature saw cutting out a trap door in the playhouse floor, the four intrepid siblings descend into a murky subterranean country, overgrown with mushrooms. There they narrowly escape capture by the Ogs--ruthlessly childish creatures who have constructed a bizarre culture from cast-off toys and comic-book characters.

A farcical fantasy in the tradition of Mr. Popper's Penguins and the books of Dr. Seuss, The Secret World of Og will entertain children as young as six--though some may find the baby-snatching Ogs rather frightening at first. With its references to comic books and '60s-style TV shows, the book has an undeniably dated feel, but its comic characterizations of the obsessively playful Ogs--and especially of that master of escape, the Pollywog--are as amusing as ever. (Ages 6 and older) --Lisa Alward

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Canada, Childrens, Classics, Middle Grade, Adventure

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

From narrative histories and popular culture, to picture and coffee table books to anthologies, to stories for children to readable, historical works for youth, many of his books are now Canadian classics.

Born in 1920 and raised in the Yukon, Pierre Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his university years. He spent four years in the army, rising from private to captain/instructor at the Royal Military College in Kingston. He spent his early newspaper career in Vancouver, where at 21 he was the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily. He wrote columns for and was editor of Maclean's magazine, appeared on CBC's public affairs program "Close-Up" and was a permanent fixture on "Front Page Challenge" for 39 years. He was a columnist and editor for the Toronto Star, and a writer and host of a series of CBC programs.

Pierre Berton has received over 30 literary awards including the Governor-General's Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times), the Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour, and the Gabrielle Leger National Heritage Award. He received two Nellies for his work in broadcasting, two National Newspaper awards, and the National History Society's first award for "distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history." For his immense contribution to Canadian literature and history, he has been awarded more than a dozen honourary degrees, is a member of the Newsman's Hall of Fame and a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I finally found this book! I remember my grade three teacher reading this to our class. Whenever I think back to books from my childhood, I always saw flashes of scenes from this book without being able to remember the full title. Now I've found it again and the nostalgia floods back! Thank you, goodreads!

[Jill Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such fun! I do not know how I missed this little gem as a nerdy well-read child! Considering I devoured every book Berton wrote on the great white north, yet this was his favourite. What?! And the references to the joy and importance of children reading just did my heart good! I hope this story continues to reach generations of children (and adults).

[Karena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book by one of Canada's premier authors. For children, and illustrated by a child, I think it is very well done. It does have some rough edges, hence the lower rating, but please read it if you love the world of a child's imagination.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a kid, all my siblings did. If I hadn't read it again as an adult it would have garnered 4 stars. Read this book to a kid you know and open up a new world and foster a love of reading.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child this book was read and re read constantly for many years - I owe my imagination to this story and it still does the trick as an adult

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just reread this with my (almost) 9 year old son and remembered anew why I loved this so much as a kid. The entire idea of an underground river, waterfall (!) and town still strikes me as absolutely divine. How I wish I could discover Og and play pretend. And yet there's a bitter sweetness at the end as well where you come to understand that the kids are growing up (Penny and Pamela in particular) and that they are unlikely to ever experience such wonders again.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this read to me the first time. But once I could read, I came back and checked it out several times to re-read it. A fun adventure for younger readers.

[Chelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourites growing up!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my childhood favourites! (According to my mom we literally wore out the library's copy when my brother and i were kids)

I decided to give it a reread after 20 years to see if it would be appropriate for my now 7 year old neice.
Happy to report that it's just as magical, imaginative, and captivating as it was 20 years ago!

For those also considering appropriateness for the kids in their life:
• There are a few instances of language that was more acceptable in the 60s than today - "cowboys and indians" and the associated notion of "indians" are mentioned a few times, and i was a little surprised to see the word "lynching" used once or twice rather casually. But i think as long as the adult in the kids life is comfortable explaining these terms & why we might avoid them now, i think it still has a lot to offer young readers!
• In terms of reading level, i think my 7 year old neice might struggle with reading it on her own. Theres a lot of text and the occasional big word. But she would probably love having it read to her, and would probably be able to read it herself in the next year or two.

And a random connection i made while revisiting this book (& mild spoiler):
Until i was in my mid 20s and watched Parks and Recreation, i was convinced Lucy Lawless was a made up name, a fictional character. When i realized she was an actress (and Xena!) i was completely baffled as to what had givin me the impression she was fictional. Anyway turns out "Lucy Lawless" is a Nancy-Drew-esque series one of the children in Og is a big fan of. The titles seem to be a bit of a running joke: Lucy Lawless, Girl _____, (Pirate, Welder, Taxedermist, to name a few). Which leads me to wonder... does Lucy Lawless, Warrior Princess, know about all her alter egos?

[Jessica-Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first came across this book it was because my teacher had chosen it for story time, this of course was over six years ago. The Secret World of Og was the first book I ever really fell in love with, but as all things go I eventually moved on and promptly forgot about Og. Years and years pass as I desperately try to remember the books title, author, anything that would help me rediscover it, having forgotten (as most children do) the very details that would be required for locating it. Only till today thinking about my own writing I magically typed "Og" into a Google search and there it was. I hope someday to finally reunite with the one book that became more then just a book for me and start the journey all over again. (Then maybe write an actual review instead of this mess of childhood nostalgia. I'm very sorry.)

Shall I never forget again!

[Tyra Leann · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars.

This is a pure nostalgia re-read for me.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone, I’m sorry to sound desperate, but my little brother Peter is about to be hanged by little green subterranean men. I know it sounds unbelievable, like something only a bunch a kids could make up, but it’s true. How did this happen? Let me explain it to you from the beginning, but just quickly because I still need to tend to events down here…to somehow save my little brother, who by the way, now has tears streaming down his face.

This all started just a few hours ago when the little green men now tying the noose around Peter’s head tunneled into our clubhouse. This might not have been such a big deal, but my baby brother Paul, aka the Pollywog, used that same tunnel to escape from the clubhouse after we had left him alone there for just a second. There was no choice, we all had to follow; it was our brave effort to save him.

Oh, we, who do I mean, you ask? Well it’s me, my older sister Penny, my younger brother Peter, my younger sister Patsy (she’ll grow up and illustrate the book), and the Pollywog. Oh then there’s our pets Yukon King and Earless Osdick the cat/dog/rabbit (don’t ask!) We’re all characters taken from real life, but then isn’t every character in some way or another? Our fictional dad is Pierre Berton, your beloved author, who published this story back in 1961.

The reason I’m writing this is because Penny is always too busy leading, Peter is always lost in his own world of cars and trucks, and Patsy is too much the free spirit write anything down. Oh, and the Pollywog, he only speaks one word, “og,” which coincidentally is the one word that all these menacing little green people speak. Imagine that, only one word in their native language. This makes school a bit easier than ours up above. Their recesses are five months long, if you can believe it.

I’m not sure if I’d like five months recesses the more I think about it. Being the second child isn’t easy. With Penny in charge, I’ve never really been able to develop my own leadership skills. I’m always overlooked. If you’ve read the story which I’ve just stepped out of to write this all down, you’ll notice that even when I did have the chance to be in charge, I ended up following, not leading, my little sister Patsy down the mushroom forested hills into the village of Og. Yeah, five month recesses might not be a good fit for someone like me.

Now Peter, he’d have no problem. You probably smiled at the way he painted himself green to fit in among the Ogs. Yeah, I admit, that was pretty brilliant, but how much more brilliant was it that my dad snuck in some social commentary relating to the struggle for civil rights in the real world, an issue that of course in 1961 was front and center in the United States, just one country away from where we live in Canada.

But though they might face a lot of discrimination were they to live above ground rather than below, it’s hard to feel sorry for these little green men. It’s true, they are a playful people, but it’s also true they take their play to an extreme…thus the pending execution. You’re probably thinking it sounds a bit harsh for a kids story. You’re right. It’s definitely a kids story of a different generation. What’s the word you adults use for those soft Millennials…snowflakes? Well, our story is not one for snowflakes!

Anyway, I have to go now, the little green men have just started to hoist the rope and Peter’s feet are almost all the way off the ground. I hope one of us can figure out something to save him...

(c) Jeffrey L. Otto, February 16, 2019

[Kevin Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a simple yet loveable story of childhood adventure from one of Canada's greatest authors. It's fun to think about what might lie under the surface, and Berton's version is so silly that it's brilliant. The main characters are fine--nothing more or less than one might expect from this type of book, but the characters they meet are great. It's funny to see their way they behave on a regular day as well as during major events--the change in demeanor is a highlight of the book for me.

I loved the adventure. Toward the end, it seemed a bit like it was trying to force a lesson into the story, but I think it works as well (or better) without. It might not be the flashiest book you'll ever read, but it does a great job of sparking the imagination. Another major highlight is the illustration. The pictures bring the book to life, and it was great to see my daughter spend so much time staring at the same pictures that I stared at when I was young. Pierre Berton's daughter Patsy did a great job with these. The story itself might be closer to four stars, but the illustrations make it five.

[Howard Gibbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun to read, it is obviously a children's book, and one I've had in my collection for many many years. I can remember one of my elementary school teachers reading it to me our class in the mid 60s. And I subsequently read it to my daughters when they were young.

The story tells the tale of five children who discover a secret passage underneath her playhouse leading to a underground civilization a little green people who primarily speak by saying the word "Og". A few can speak English, or at least a version thereof as they learned the language through comic books, children stories, etc. In addition to this the little people act like the characters they have read about in the comics, which leads to sound rather humourous encounters.

The storyline is very straightforward and would be an easy read for anybody in the middle elementary grades (grades three and up), and would make a very good story (as I know for certain) for parents to read to their children.

There was never any sequel to this book to the best of my knowledge, but it would've been nice if there was.

Highly recommended.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is my grown up rating. This book is a charmer but I didn’t love it. My 9 year old on the other hand (who I was reading this aloud to) loved it. So did my 11 year old who listened in for about half the chapters.

This is a book written for children and I expect that my sons will remember it fondly and seek it out to read with their kids as a treasured childhood memory. I mention this because well this isn’t a “great” book it is a wonderful example of a classic children’s fantasy. It has all the charms of Harry Potter but none of the edginess or violence. This is simply, simple, charming fun. To be clear I’m not comparing I’m giving context. Readers who have read Harry Potter are less likely to be charmed but it’s a great early/young introduction to children’s fantasy. Grown ups will find it has charms to, though I do recommend reading to its intended audience rather then on your own.

[min · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Earless Osdick did not know he was a cat any more than the Pollywog knew that he was a baby. Both of them thought they were dogs and nobody had ever got around to telling them differently." p27

"Maybe it's not so much what you are, as what you think you are," she said finally, trying to sort it all out. "I mean, if you think you're something, then it's almost as if you were something." p151

Like so many other reviewers, I have incredibly fond memories of having this book read to me/my class by my elementary school teacher. I was delighted to have bought my own copy in 1995 which I read to our children. Decided that this summer was a great time for me to re-read this treasure. Delightful! Love this book!!!

[Sharon Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Canadian friend on Twitter recommend The Secret World of Og when I asked for some fun read-aloud titles. And he was spot on.

We all very much enjoyed this fun read about five sibling who find a hidden world under their playhouse full of little green people. Their adventures made for some riveting reading.

The illustrations—drawn by the author’s daughter—are delightfully whimsical. Definitely give this one a try!

PS. After reading, we found the Canadian animated series in YouTube and that was pretty fun too.

[sage green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warning. Be careful if children are reading this. There is an actual attempted lynching of a child, and lots of talk of lynching. Who would have thought a delightful tale about children discovering an underground land of whimsical, child-like goblin people, would include graphic talk of hanging people.

This was such a fun read for me as a kid. I'm not sure if I will read it to my own children, considering the lynching, but aside from that, it holds up rather well, and I enjoyed re-reading it nearly 30 years after I first opened the book.

[Caitlin Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a favourite children's book from my childhood to my children, two questions go through my head:

Will they like it?

Will I still like it?

The Secret World of Og is so good, even after all this time. The answer to both questions was a resounding yes.

If I put on my critics hat, I could probably find some problems with it, but I don't think I need to wear that hat right now.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The five Berton children discover an underground world, filled with mushrooms and small green people through a trapdoor underneath their playhouse. The people take things left behind in the outside world and some have learned to speak English through books and comics. The children are joined by several of their pets and they help to get them out of some sticky situations before they come to an understanding with the people of Og.

[Kelly Pawlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many fond memories of this book from being a kid. It really sparked my imagination and I begged for a playhouse of my own. (I even got one, but sadly never found a way to access the Secret World of Og.) Rereading it as an adult was wonderfully nostalgic. I've even read it out loud to my kids who enjoyed it as well.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom bought this for my kids. It was her favorite book when she was about 10 years old. I read it to JT. I probably would have loved it when I was a kid. JT gave it 5 stars, about 3 from me, so I settled in the middle at 4 stars.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my just-turned-9-year-old. We both enjoyed the fanciful story and (somewhat) primitive, yet charming illustrations. Nothing too dark or thought-provoking, which made it perfect bedtime reading.

[Morgan Lalonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this book from my childhood and I had to find it again and reread it for a solid dose of nostalgia. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint! Just a fun easy read and a quality children's story, it also gets bonus points for being canadian ❤

[Taina Nieminen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for children and the child in all of us. My children received this many years ago for a Christmas gift. I read it to them at least 3 times and they read it themselves. It appears to be difficult to locate copies to purchase and that is a shame

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up from the thrift store on a chance - turned out better than I expected. This took me back to being a child and those wonderful summer days hanging out with my siblings. (Although Berton's children seemed to have no chores to do??)

Fun summer read.

[SHARLENE (MyBookishBehaviour) · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my childhood books. fun to re read 😊

[Una Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a child. Sweet and fun and fully of imagination and magic. I would highly recommend for any child. A true Canadian classic.

[Jinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice read that I'm sure I would have loved as a child.

[Krista Osmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite books from my childhood