Waking Up Wendell

by April Stevens, Tad Hills (Illustrator)

Overview

EARLY IN THE MORNING, a little bird at #1 Fish Street hops out of her nest, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing a very loud and whistley song, TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEEET-TA-TA-TA-TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEET!

So starts the story of how a chain of events results in everyone on one street waking up. The bird's song awakens Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, whose grumbling wakes up Leopold, his dog, who barks "RAPPITYRAPPITY-RAP RAPPITY-RAPPITY-RAP" . . . and wakes up Mrs. Musky, at #3 Fish Street. The antics go on and on until, finally, Lilah Hall's singing in the shower at #9 awakens the last person left who is still asleep, none other than the littlest resident at #10 Fish Street: baby Wendell Willamore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375989247
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/27/2010
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

April Stevens is the author of the picture book Edwin Speaks Up and the adult novel Angel, Angel. She lives in Cornwall, Connecticut.

 

Tad Hills is the author and illustrator of How Rocket Learned to Read, a New York Times Bestseller, and it's sequel Rocket Writes a Story. He is also the author and illustrator of Duck & Goose, a New York Times Bestseller and ALA Notable Book, and its sequel, Duck, Duck, Goose. A painter, actor, and obsessive Halloween costume maker, he lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and children.

Editorial Reviews

Stevens, author of a novel for adults (Angel, Angel), endows her imaginative debut picture book with well-developed characters, plenty of noise and enough humor to keep readers wanting more. Beginning with the "ta-ta-ta tweeeeeet!" of a small bird, sounds travel from one house to the next, awakening the porcine denizens of Fish Street in a domino effect. The bird rouses Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, his dog Leopold disturbs Mrs. Musky at #3 Fish Street, and her whistling teapot flusters the tardy kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Depolo at #4 Fish Street, and so on. Hills's (Duck & Goose) witty watercolors depict action and facial expressions with equal ease, and they target both children's and adults' sensibilities. For the seven Darjeelings, who sleep together in a huge bed and whose cat wakes them by repeatedly slamming the screen door, he offers a frontal view of the glassy-eyed family, all with identical helpless stares; their nightstand contains the books Whose Bed Is It Anyway?and Train Your Cat. Especially delicious is his characterization of Mrs. Depolo as she literally "throws on her clothes, races down her stairs, and dives out the door." The story could easily do double-duty as a counting book, and with its punchy prose, unexpected plot turns and surprisingly sweet ending, it's a cinch for a read-aloud treat. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2
It's morning on Fish Street. A bird that lives outside #1 wakes up the occupant of #2 with its "tweeet-ta-ta-ta-tweeeeet." Then the dog from #2 barks and wakes up Mrs. Musky at #3. At each home there is a unique sound until finally little Wendell in his crib at #10 wakes up-"weeeeeee!" The onomatopoeia is delightful. The screen door goes "wack-slam" and the sewing machine goes "wug-a-ta." The sound words are typeset to sweep across the pages and lead readers on to the next scene. All of the "people" on Fish Street are pigs, and each one has a unique personality and an often humorous morning routine. Children will chuckle at Mrs. Musky, who "heads into her bathroom to get her hair under control," and Mr. Wink, who "moves slowly, like honey pouring from a jar." Hills's bright oil paint and colored pencil illustrations, done with simple lines and contrasting colors, enliven the text and add extra humor. This picture book is both a clever and original counting book and a great read-aloud.
—Donna CardonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, September 3, 2007:
"With its punchy prose, unexpected plot turns and surprisingly sweet ending, it's a cinch for a read-aloud treat."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2007:
"As absolutely charming as a sunny morning can be."

From the Publisher