Boogy & Tee and Twinkle & Hew

Illustrated by Mark Hoffmann
Published by Groundwood Books

Two boats at sea, caught in a storm, impacted very differently — a light-hearted tale about economic inequality and climate change, patterned on a classic poem.

Age Level

Ages 3-8

Curriculum Connections

Environment, Human rights, Empathy, Emotions, Poetry, Literary Adaptations, Story Structure

Activities

Read “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” by Edward Lear. Then find a poem you like and try writing your own, starting by changing the first line just a little.

Together with a classmate, friend, or sibling, make your own boat with whatever materials you have on hand. Find somewhere safe to sail it.

Discuss:

Who was your favourite character and why?

Is there a page in the book that made you laugh?

Is there a page in the book that made you cry?

How do you think the story would have ended if the characters hadn’t worked together to solve their problems?

Why do you think the author included the quote at the end of the story?

Reviews

Playful verse reads like a sea shanty... illustrations lend cheerfulness and a touch of surrealism to the tale. This charming and profound fable about the importance of collective action and solidarity is a recommended purchase.

School Library Journal

The seaworthy rhymes, speckled with Lear-ian nonsense words (“drocks,” “kraylish”), give bounce to this plea for selflessness doubling as a rebuke to materialism. A visually commanding parable about the perils of greed and the kindness of strangers.

Kirkus Reviews

shows us that the inequality that drives so much of our contemporary world can be eclipsed with kindness and cooperation

CanLit for LittleCanadians

The rollicking lines of this picture book make it a good read-aloud choice. The collage illustrations use subtle touches to deliver the message that the boats we’re in are clearly not the same.

Booklist

quirky and playful, even though the story speaks to urgent issues

Guelph Mercury Tribune

universally appealing... of particular interest for families that are beginning conversations about privilege and inequality with their children

Youth Services Book Review, MA

a fun story with original flair and plenty of reading goodness, too

Bookworm for Kids