The Secret World of Og
Encyclopedia
The Secret World of Og is a children's novel written by Pierre Berton
and illustrated by his daughter Patsy. It was first published in 1961 by McClelland and Stewart
.
This Canadian classic has sold more than 200,000 copies in four editions.
Of his forty-seven books, this was Berton’s personal favourite, partly because the characters were inspired by his own children. The Secret World of Og brought the author more fan mail than anything else he wrote – at least a dozen letters a week from children across Canada.
adventure
, four children — Penny, the leader; Pamela, her common-sense sister; Peter, whose life’s ambition is to become a garbageman; and Patsy, who collects frog
s in her pockets — set out in search of their baby brother, Paul, better known as “The Pollywog,” who has vanished mysteriously from their playhouse. Accompanied by their fearless pets, the children descend through a secret trapdoor into a strange underground world of mushroom
s, whose green inhabitants know only one word: “OG!”
, Canada's national public broadcaster. The series also airs in the United States on Starz Kids and Family with a TV-PG rating, despite its family-oriented nature.
An animated special based on the book, also called The Secret World of Og, was previously broadcast in the 1980s in the United States as an ABC Weekend Special
during its 5th Season.
The TV series extends the storyline of the original book, following the five Berton siblings as they descend through a hole in the floor of their playhouse to explore the underground world of Og. There, amid subterranean rivers, caverns and elaborate villages built of mushrooms, they interact with little green creatures called Ogs, and their myriad neighbors - troll
s, ogre
s and fairies, and a mysterious sea monster
named Nessie
.
Carousel Theatre
produced a stage version of The Secret World of Og in April 2009 in Vancouver, BC, adapted by Governor General's Award
winning playwright Kevin Kerr
.
The Canadian Children's Opera Company (CCOC) will mount an operatic version in May 2010 at the Enwave Theatre of the Harbourfront Centre, Toronto. The Secret World of Og, with libretto and music by Dean Burry, is directed by Joel Ivany and conducted by Ann Cooper Gay.
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
and illustrated by his daughter Patsy. It was first published in 1961 by McClelland and Stewart
McClelland and Stewart
McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is partially owned by Random House of Canada, now a subsidiary of Bertelsmann....
.
This Canadian classic has sold more than 200,000 copies in four editions.
Of his forty-seven books, this was Berton’s personal favourite, partly because the characters were inspired by his own children. The Secret World of Og brought the author more fan mail than anything else he wrote – at least a dozen letters a week from children across Canada.
Plot introduction
In this fantasyFantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
, four children — Penny, the leader; Pamela, her common-sense sister; Peter, whose life’s ambition is to become a garbageman; and Patsy, who collects frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s in her pockets — set out in search of their baby brother, Paul, better known as “The Pollywog,” who has vanished mysteriously from their playhouse. Accompanied by their fearless pets, the children descend through a secret trapdoor into a strange underground world of mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s, whose green inhabitants know only one word: “OG!”
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The Secret World of Og served to inspire an animated action-adventure television series produced in 2006 and airing on CBC TelevisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, Canada's national public broadcaster. The series also airs in the United States on Starz Kids and Family with a TV-PG rating, despite its family-oriented nature.
An animated special based on the book, also called The Secret World of Og, was previously broadcast in the 1980s in the United States as an ABC Weekend Special
ABC Weekend Special
The ABC Weekend Special is a weekly 30-minute anthology TV series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997. It featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated....
during its 5th Season.
The TV series extends the storyline of the original book, following the five Berton siblings as they descend through a hole in the floor of their playhouse to explore the underground world of Og. There, amid subterranean rivers, caverns and elaborate villages built of mushrooms, they interact with little green creatures called Ogs, and their myriad neighbors - troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s, ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
s and fairies, and a mysterious sea monster
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
named Nessie
NESSIE
NESSIE was a European research project funded from 2000–2003 to identify secure cryptographic primitives. The project was comparable to the NIST AES process and the Japanese Government-sponsored CRYPTREC project, but with notable differences from both...
.
Carousel Theatre
Carousel Theatre
Carousel Theatre is a professional theatre company for young audiences located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company stages plays for young people, families and educators at the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works on Granville Island and tours to elementary schools across...
produced a stage version of The Secret World of Og in April 2009 in Vancouver, BC, adapted by Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
winning playwright Kevin Kerr
Kevin Kerr
Kevin Kerr is a Canadian playwright, actor, director and founding member of Electric Company Theatre. From 2007 to 2010, he was Lee Playwright in Residence at University of Alberta....
.
The Canadian Children's Opera Company (CCOC) will mount an operatic version in May 2010 at the Enwave Theatre of the Harbourfront Centre, Toronto. The Secret World of Og, with libretto and music by Dean Burry, is directed by Joel Ivany and conducted by Ann Cooper Gay.