Battle at Bogs Hollow is an educational children’s story by Sheri-Lynn Kenny, illustrated by Frances Espanol. The story involves three animal friends that remain behind after the other animals flee. The friends are Tommy, the turtle; Freddy the frog; and Phinny, the fish. The threesome intend to defend their homes from the monster-machines that are excavating the area and destroying their environment. The three friends plot to take action once the monsters are asleep. They ‘borrow’ human underwear to stuff up the ‘noses’ of the monsters which results in the monster-machines no longer working. The animals feel they have won the battle when the disabled monsters are taken away, but have they truly won the battle?

This delightful story incorporates monster-trucks and animals into a tale of friendship and fighting-for-a-cause determination. The story is imaginative and illustrated with captivating pictures. Younger children will enjoy the colorful, animated pictures and the happy ending. Older children and adult readers will understand the environmental impact of this story which comes from the growing human population driving out and eliminating wildlife. The pattern of rhyming every other sentence and the length of the sentences does not appear overly rhythmic and allows the author freedom to tell her story. The illustrator, Frances Espanol, did a nice job of creating bright and colorful pages. The cover is particularly attractive.

Battle at Bogs Hollow by Sheri-Lynn Kenny is a children’s book about respecting nature. When monsters and humans threaten to ruin Bogs Hollow, three animal friends work together to save their homes. By working together they are able to get the monsters to leave Bogs Hollow.

I chose to read Battle at Bogs Hollow with my four-year-old daughter because she loves stories about animals. The main characters in this story are named Freddy, Tommy and Phinny - a frog, a turtle and a fish. Most of the story is written in simple rhyme form which helps the story flow nicely. I like that Sheri-Lynn Kenny wrote about such an important issue like saving natural habitats. Animals’ homes are important too.

I was surprised that the book did not end the way I thought it would. I really liked the ending a lot. The ending is more like what happens in real life which is also a good lesson for children. The colorful illustrations were cute and simple. My daughter thought the stealing of the underwear was hilarious. She could not stop laughing at the thought of underwear stuffed up a nose.

Sheri-Lynn Kenny has written several other children’s book. This is the first one of her books I have read. Overall, I think this is a good book. Animals are often overlooked and their homes are important too. We cannot keep driving them out of their habitats. I think this would be a good book for kindergarten classrooms to have.

Sheri-Lynn Kenny describes life in Bogs Hollow as quiet and peaceful before the monsters came. Battle at Bogs Hollow depicts machines coming into the forest and destroying the homes of many creatures. Best friends Freddy, Tommy, and Phinney stay behind to try to stop the monsters and make them go away. All the rest of the animals leave. The three friends devise a plan to borrow items from the human camp and fight the yellow monsters in the night. They stuff underwear up the beasts' noses. When the humans try to go to work again, the machines will not work. Another huge, noisy monster comes to take away the yellow machines. Freddy and his friends won, but will the other animals come back?

Battle at Bogs Hollow by Sheri-Lynn Kenny touches on an environmental issue for me as an adult. I read this book to my young nephews and I was able to relate concerns for the animals and earth and get their responses to these concepts. The younger boys liked that the tractors had “scary mouths” and were glad when the animals were safe. They found the idea of stuffing underwear up the monsters' noses comical, but also felt sympathy for the machines when they were taken away. The older boys questioned how the fish would be able to have a new home when he was stuck in the pond. The illustrations drew positive responses and discussion from all of them.