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Summary: Have You Ever Considered a Whangdoodle?
Review: "You'll excuse me for butting in," said a voice immediately behind children. "But if you're looking for something really unusual, have you ever considered a Whangdoodle?"
The children spun around. Sitting in the grass behind them, knees drawn up almost to his chin, was a small man. He was holding a rolled umbrella made of clear plastic.
"I beg your pardon, sir," Ben said, "Did you say something?"
"Yes I did. I said, have you ever considered a Whangdoodle?"
In Julie Andrews Edwards, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles you can. What is a Whagdoodle? It's a mythical creature that lives in Whangdoodleland. Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter and Professor Savant try to meet the Whangdoodle, but the Prock, the Whasndoodle's Prime Minister, will stop at nothing to make sure they don't. On their strange adventure they meet the Whifflebird, the High-behind Splinter Cat and many other unusual creatures. Do they meet the Whangdoodle? You'll just have to read the book to find out.
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Summary: One of my favorite childhood memories
Review: Action, intrigue, suspense, a cat who lives in a giant knot of yarn and another that can change colors to...plaid. I was given this book as a gift from my grandmother when it first came out, and it remains one of my prized possessions.
This is a delightful story about growing up, trusting, and most importantly, learning to rely on one's imagination and wits. While there are some serious themes to the book, and some suspenseful moments, this really is a romp; a book that children of almost all ages can enjoy - and many adults, too, I imagine.
Julie Andrews Edwards proves she can do a lot more than sing. If you are a fan of children's literature, or if you have a child, this is a must read. There are a lot of books I remember reading as a child, but this one stands out along with the Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit as one of the absolute best.
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Summary: One of the Best Fantasy Stories of All Time
Review: Ben (13), Tom (10), and Lindy (7) Potter, have never heard of an animal known as the Whangdoodle, even though they spend as much time at the zoo as possible. But then they meet the magical Professor Savant. Professor Savant tells them all about the magical creature known as the Whangdoodle, who have disappeared due to the fact that people just don't believe in them anymore. So when the good Professor invites the three siblings on a quest to find the last of the really great Whangdoodles, they can't resist, and quickly agree. However, the way to Whangdoodleland is more complicated than any of the children could have imagined. For the three of them must learn to see things in a completely different way, in which they let their imaginations take over, as opposed to thinking logically. When at last the siblings are ready to embark on their journey, they are treated to a wonderful land filled with wondrous creatures, but still no Whangdoodle. And since the slimy Prime Minister of Whangdoodleland, known as the Prock is determined to stop the four explorers in anyway that he possibly can, they may never meet up with the enchanting Whangdoodle. Unless, of course, they continue to believe.
Julie Andrews Edwards proves once again that she is a multi-talented woman, who can not only sing and dance, but can write wondrous stories that capture the imaginations of both children and adults alike. THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES is filled with vivid descriptions, that bring each written word to life, and the characters prove to be extremely two-dimensional, showing different sides of their personalities throughout the novel. Altogether this book is a wonderful fantasy that should be listed as a classic right up there next to C.S. Lewis' NARNIA series, and J.R.R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. A must-have.
Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
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Summary: Should be a 6...
Review: I absolutely loved this book and would have given it 6 stars if I could. The woman who was once Mary Poppins and taught the world to believe in fantasy and the power of their imaginations has done it again. This book sends a wonderful message about keeping our imaginations fresh and the power that the youngest among us have to enter into Whangdoodleland - a place that disappears when people stop believing in it.Three rather ordinary children ranging in age from 7 to 13 happen across Professor Savant. He agrees to give them lessons on how to reach the magical place. What he is really teaching them though is how to see the world in a different way. They really do reach the land of the Whangdoodle and have many adventures while learning a lot about themselves along the way. This book is filled with factual information as well. Only one small piece has become out of date, concerning DNA research, since the book was written. The rest is solid and very informative for intermediate grade students. I have seen this book used for literature study in a 5th grade classroom and it worked marvelously. Why 5 stars?:
This book should have no problem holding the attention of 9-12 year olds though it is quite lengthy. The themes of using our imaginations and being creative are ones that are important for every age group. As well, there is lots of factual information in this book. It will serve well as a discussion starter and in literature study groups (not to mention it is also an AR book).
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Summary: Imagination 101 - a timeless gift for kids & adults!
Review: I first discovered this book over 12 years ago when it was only available in hard cover while I was running the young readers section of a bookstore. We only carried one copy but after I had read the book myself I began recommending it to people who wanted something "really special" to give to children. Soon we had to keep 2-3 copies on the shelf to accomodate our customers. I have to admit I gushed about this book...it's one of the finest explorations of imagination I have ever run across (and since I have a personal library of over 10,000 books *besides* all the others I've read, I feel that I have a good perspective! ). This was the first 'big' children's book that I read aloud to my own children (who where then four and two). They were enthralled. We read a chapter a night and the one time I was too sick to read, they *insisted* on *two* chapters the next night! I'm so glad that this book is now available in paperback so that more people can enjoy it...but I'm glad that I have my copy in hard cover because I know that it will be read many more times over the years! (hey! I've read it more than five times already myself!!) This is a classic that is suitable for all ages...except perhaps infants!
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Summary: Great Whangdoodles!
Review: I had a teacher who read this book to our class when I was in fourth grade. I am now 30, and the book is still one of the most creative, entertaining books I have ever read. Lindy, Tom, Ben and the professor have the most wonderful adventures and meet up with the most incredible creatures. Julie Andrews Edwards has a gift for making the reader feel that she (or he) is actually along on the adventure. Her writing style is so descriptive, it's almost as if you can actually see, smell and taste all of the fantastic things in the book. This book truly recognizes the importance of exercising a child's imagination. I really look forward to reading it to my children someday.
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Summary: The Wonders of Whangdoodleland :-l :>) =) :>/ :-}
Review: I'm in the 6th grade and I currently read The Last of The Really Great Whangdoodles- I loved the book! The book is about 3 young kids,Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter, who, with the help of their friend, Professor Savant, search out for the Whangdoodle.The Whangdoodle looks a bit like a moose or horse, it grows a new pair of slippers on it's feet each year. The Whangdoodle isn't the only strange creature in Whangdoodleland there's also the adorable Whiffle Bird, the mean and nasty Swamp Gaboons, the awful "oily" Prock, the playful High-Behind Splintercat, and many more. I'd keep going but that would defeat the purpose of reading the book, and you deffinetly wouldn't want to miss this book!I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope by writing this review I persaude others to read it too! P.S. Be sure to smell the flowers of Whangdoodleland!
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Summary: Teaches the important lessons of life, no matter your age.
Review: Julie Edwards takes us on a magical trip which is only possible for those who can use their imaginations and carefully observe their surroundings. Children will love the comical creatures who can only defeat them if they allow their emotions, both positve and negative, to be used against them. I have read this story to classes from Grade Four to Grade Six and all the children have loved the plot and characters. The children will learn to deal with Swamp Gaboons and Tree Squeaks, which are found on all elementary school playgrounds, as well as Sidewinders and the Prock who are found in most elementary school staffrooms. A wonderful book!
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Summary: I've Always Loved This Book
Review: My aunt gave me this book when I was a child and I immediately grew to love it. I read it over and over again until I got older and started reading "grown up" books. But when the inspiration struck me to try writing some young reader's novels of my own, I began to gravitate towards those books I'd loved as a child, and I've slowly begun to rediscover them.
Julie Andrews-Edwards may be famous as an actress, but she's a wonderful author as well. This book focuses on three children who, one Halloween night, fall in with a slightly eccentric professor who believes in another world ruled by a kind but reclusive creature called a Whangdoodle. This book stretches the limits of imagination with fantastic creatures, incredible settings and marvelous adventures. I loved this book when I was a boy. Now I love it all over again.
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Summary: An author with a river flowing with a child's imagination!
Review: There is so much creative power at work in this story, it's wonderful. I'd give it a ten (on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest) for the imagination alone involved in creating all the creatures in the story. Read it yourself and, if you don't like the plot, at least read it for the fascinating descriptions of all the creatures in it. Oh to have an imagination like this author! It was great. I found myself smiling and giggling like a little girl while I was reading it. It's a great conversation piece too - how many discussions are about "whangdoodles" anyway? :o) Great read!
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