One of four Meg and Mog adventures published by Ladybird Books, and based upon episodes of the television show - the other three are Meg's Fancy Dress, Meg's Treasure, and Meg's Cauldron - this title follows the eponymous Mog as he experiences a day when he, rather than Meg, is in charge. Determined to assert himself, he demands his favourite food, only to find the house overrun with fish when one of Meg's spells goes (predictably) wrong. Soon there is an ocean flowing out of the witch's cauldron, and Mog, Meg and Owl must embark on a watery adventure involving sharks, desert islands, and threatening jungle tigers. Fortunately for Mog, when he decides he's had enough of being in charge, Meg is ready to step in...

As someone who has read all of the Meg and Mog stories by author Helen Nicoll and illustrator Jan Pieńkowski, but who has never watched the television show based upon them, I was curious to see how these tv tie-in stories would match up against the 'real' thing. What I found in Mog In Charge was a fairly engaging story, particularly for those readers who are fans of these characters, but a book nowhere near as appealing as the original tales. The artwork is in the style of Pieńkowski - or rather, in the style of the animation based upon Pieńkowski - but without any of the clever little details he liked to include. The text is also more straightforward, with the story told exclusively through the main narrative, rather than a mix of narrative, speech bubbles and sound words, as is the case with the Nicoll/Pieńkowski volumes. Although credited to Nicoll/Pieńkowski, it's pretty clear that this was not directly created by them. Still, I suppose it will have appeal, particularly for those young readers who are fans of the television show, or who (like me) have run out of original Meg and Mog stories to read. ( )