Mokie and Bik Go to Sea

Orr, Wendy. Mokie and Bik Go to Sea. Illustrated by Jonathan Bean. Henry Holt and Co., 2010. 76 pages. $15.99. ISBN 9780805081749.

Summary:

Mokie and Bik, those seafaring, swashbuckling twins who live on a boat, are back again for another action-packed adventure story. Mokie and Bik’s father returns from “his ship-at-sea,” home to Bullfrog to be captain again; now Bullfrog can be shipshaped and ready to set sail herself. The twins are always playing nautically-themed games, when they are not underfoot and in the way, and often someone (or a pet) ends up overboard. The adventure turns serious, however, when the twins are adrift in the harbor without a grown-up onboard and they have to think quickly to save Bullfrog.

Curriculum Connections:

Orr’s use of language is poetic and filed with wordplay. This could be a terrific class read-aloud to inspire young writers to be creative with words in their fiction-writing.

Personal Reflections:

Like other reviewers (Phelan, 2008; Whitbeck, 2008), I was both delighted by the puns, twinspeak, letter substitutions, and wordplay, and also concerned that it would present a challenge for children to read on their own. The book has the look and feel of a transitional fiction book (plenty of lively illustrations, larger font size, short chapters), but because of the unusual language I would place it at the high end for transitional readers.

Awards:

Age/Interest Range:

6-10

Genre/Themes:

Realistic Fiction, Nautical Adventure, Adventure, Siblings, Family

Read-Alikes:

Mokie and Bik (2007) is the closest read-alike in terms of format and content. Another humorous, salty adventure, (though in picture book format), is Long’s How I Became a Pirate and may appeal to a similar audience.