From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—When warthogs have their third litter, the sows cast out their first litter. That's how Mogo, the runt of his litter, finds himself on his own. Using what he has learned from his mother, from his older brothers' missteps, and from a helpful baboon who is also alone, he carves out a life as he matures and finds a potential mate. While the author builds on a strong natural-history base, she also explores her characters' emotions, hopes, and fears. This tempers the potentially frightening wild world of the African savanna's hungry cheetahs, wild dogs, and lions, who hunt to ensure their own survival in a harsh environment. The book's high read-aloud potential stems from Mogo's appeal as an unlikely hero who thrives when he finds friendship and loving companions. Realistic black and gray-tone watercolor illustrations that range in size from small vignettes to full page grace every chapter, introduce unfamiliar animals, and interpret the action.—
Ellen G. Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
As in Napoli’s Ugly (2006), the protagonist here is a young animal learning to survive on its own. The last of three male warthogs born in his litter, Mogo always walks behind his mother and his just-slightly-older brothers in the last position, the most vulnerable to the many predators on the savanna. In a convincing first-person narrative, Mogo tells how he survives after his mother forces the three brothers out on their own. Instincts, learned lessons, and reasoning are on his side, but luck and an unlikely friendship with a lone baboon also come into play. Though the final art for Judge’s illustrations was not seen, the sketches look very promising. Readers with no particular interest in African animals may find themselves unexpectedly caught up in this well-told, life-or-death adventure tale, while children who love animals, even those as apparently unlovable as the warthog, will be in their element here. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan
