Goodbye Mog

by Judith Kerr, Judith Kerr (Illustrator)

Overview

Mog was tired. She was dead tired…Mog thought, ‘I want to sleep for ever.’ And so she did. But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next.Mog keeps watch over the upset Thomas family, who miss her terribly, and she wonders how they will ever manage without her. Nothing happens for some time…then suddenly, one day, Mog sees a little kitten in the house. The kitten is frightened of everything – noise, newspapers, bags and being picked up. Mog thinks the kitten is very stupid.But then Mog realises that the nervous kitten doesn’t know how to play and just needs ‘a little bit of help’. And so, Mog pushes the surprised kitten into Debbie’s lap, where it finds it actually likes being tickled and stroked.The new family pet is settled in at last. But Debbie says she will always remember Mog.‘So I should hope,’ thinks Mog. And she flies up and up and up right into the sun.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780007149698
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2003
Series:	Mog
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.66(w) x 11.02(h) x (d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Judith Kerr escaped to England with her family in 1936, after fleeing Hitler’s Germany. During the War she worked for the Red Cross before winning a scholarship to the Central School of Art and Crafts in 1945. She worked as an artist and as a BBC television scriptwriter, before becoming one of the best-loved children’s authors of the twentieth century. Judith Kerr has written three novels about her childhood, including ‘When Hilter Stole Pink Rabbit’, and many picture books.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Wise, sometimes wistful but ultimately triumphant, this picture book really is something special. Judith Kerr’s previous Mog stories have always hit the highest standards; this one is her best yet: clever, affectionately illustrated and totally life-affirming.’ The Independent

Editorial Reviews

Wise, sometimes wistful but ultimately triumphant, this picture book really is something special. Judith Kerr’s previous Mog stories have always hit the highest standards; this one is her best yet: clever, affectionately illustrated and totally life-affirming.’ The Independent

From the Publisher

Kerr seemingly caps her bestselling series of books about an affable family pet with this simultaneously sad and soothing story. "I want to sleep forever," thinks the "dead-tired" Mog: "And so she did. But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next." As a faint apparition of the cat hovers overhead, the Thomas family mourns the passing of their beloved feline. She looks on curiously and occasionally disapprovingly when Mrs. Thomas brings home a new kitten that appears to be afraid of everything. Mistakenly thinking their new pet has escaped outdoors, the Thomases search for it while Mog heads inside ("I knew they'd never manage without me. They've got themselves the wrong sort of stupid kitten and now they've lost it. I'm going in"). Mog, thrilled that the kitten can apparently see her, reverses her opinion about the young feline's intelligence and gives it the "help" it needs to become less timid and more playful-and to endear itself to its new family. Kerr's appealing story entirely avoids the maudlin with its fine balance of humor and sentiment. Her winsome art captures the sincerity and spunk of the memorable-and, perchance, immortal-Mog. Ages 4-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 3-This book takes an interesting and unusual approach to a longtime favorite character. Although Mog dies on the first page ("Mog was tired. She was dead tired.- Mog thought, `I want to sleep for ever.' And so she did"), the cat stays around for the duration of the story in the form of a spirit, thinking that the family won't be able to get along without her. The family members are sad at first, but their attention is soon taken up with a new kitten that is afraid of everything. With the help of Mog, it learns to play like a proper cat, and to love its family and be loved in return. Satisfied that her former family is now in good cat paws, Mog's spirit flies up to the sky. Like so many other classic children's book characters, this feline seems frozen in time, cared for by children who never get any older and in a house that always appears the same, providing readers the comfort that accompanies familiarity. But young listeners who know Mog may feel as bereft as her fictional family, and the uninitiated may be taken aback by the abrupt death. The floating spirit in each of the color cartoon illustrations may elicit questions that require some thoughtful adult answers. Although this is an interesting exploration of loss, endings, and new beginnings, for Mog's loyal fans, saying good-bye to her is like killing off Clifford, the big red dog.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Readers who remember Mog from Kerr’s long popular and recently reissued Mog the Forgetful Cat will be both happy and sad to see this final episode in the long series by the British author/illustrator. As the title, cover art (Mog floating in a starry sky), and opening sentences ("Mog was tired. She was dead tired . . . I want to sleep for ever") not too subtly foreshadow, Mog is ready to die. Being a curious cat, a part of her "stayed awake" to see what would happen in the Thomas house. After a period of mourning, Mrs. Thomas brings home a kitten that has a hard time adjusting. Afraid of newspaper, noise, and being held, it is most comfortable hiding under the couch. It’s a good thing that Mog is still keeping an eye on things. After a brief jealous period, she takes heart ("I knew they’d never manage without me. I’m going in") and models proper behavior for the kitten, including jumping, hiding under newspapers, and playing with bags. Mog also pushes the still-shy kitten into Debbie Thomas’s arms for some petting, which it discovers it likes. Finally, Rumpus is ready to become the new family pet. Debbie Thomas notes, "I’ll always remember Mog," and the never-humble Mog leaves this earth thinking, "So I should hope." Now Mog is able to take the last part of her journey, as "she flew up and up and up and up right into the sun." Although Mog’s slightly ghost-like celestial presence is easily spotted in each picture and each family member does weep following Mog’s death, there is nothing scary or overwhelmingly morose here. Kerr’s understated humor and cheery, cartoon-like illustrations make the mood more sweet than sentimental or frightening. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews