Don't Worry, Wuddles

by Lita Judge, Lita Judge (Illustrator)

Overview

In this snowy day picture book, a kindhearted but overeager duckling tries to be helpful by sharing Wuddles the sheep’s wool to make sure all their animal friends stay warm—but will there be enough for Wuddles?

Snow is coming, and the barnyard animals are preparing for the cold. Duckling has an excellent idea! Fleecy Wuddles the sheep has plenty of wool to keep everyone nice and toasty. Surely Wuddles doesn’t mind sharing? Soon there’s a goat in legwarmers, piglets in onesies, and more! But will this outpouring of generosity leave Wuddles himself out in the cold? Not to worry—Duckling has one final, absolutely heartwarming idea!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665916769
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/26/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lita Judge is the award-winning author and illustrator of many children’s books, including Flight School, Penguin Flies Home, Red Sled, Red Hat, Good Morning to Me!, Born in the Wild, Even the Smallest Will Grow, When You Need Wings, and her illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster. She lives with her husband, two cats, and a parrot in New Hampshire. You can visit her online at LitaJudge.com.

Lita Judge is the award-winning author and illustrator of many children’s books, including Flight School, Penguin Flies Home, Red Sled, Red Hat, Good Morning to Me!, Born in the Wild, Even the Smallest Will Grow, When You Need Wings, and her illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster. She lives with her husband, two cats, and a parrot in New Hampshire. You can visit her online at LitaJudge.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/24/2023

Sharing is easy—as long as the item in question belongs to someone else. That seems to be the driving philosophy of this picture book’s indefatigable duckling narrator, who decides that Wuddles the sheep, a somnolent ball of curly white fleece, can easily spare a little wool to help ward off the coming winter chill. Seeing that Wuddles barely lifts an eyelid when the duckling appropriates a scarf for itself, it immediately appoints itself Wuddles’s woolly grantmaker, seizing more wool from the increasingly agitated sheep to fashion into a hat for Rooster, leg warmers for Goat, onesies for the Piggies, and so on. “Wuddles, aren’t you relieved?” asks the duckling, not waiting for an answer. “You can always count on me to do the right thing!” Now everyone is cozy and cosseted as the snow falls—except the actual benefactor, who has been quite thoroughly fleeced. If the hug-it-out ending provides an only temporary solution for chilly Wuddles, Duckling’s energy is comically propulsive, and watercolor and pencil illustrations by Judge (Forty Winks) are downright luscious, rendered in creamy whites, warm browns, butter yellows, and blush pinks. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Readers will quickly catch on and enjoy guessing what the duckling decides to make for each successive animal . . . Judge's mastery of the expressive animal face is on full display. No worries here."

Horn Book Magazine

09/01/2023

PreS-Gr 2—Wuddles is a very fluffy sheep who surely won't mind sharing a little wool. Duckling wakes Wuddles with the news that snow is coming and some of the animals in the barn may need help staying warm. "Don't worry, Wuddles. I have it covered. You don't mind, do you?" Duckling asserts. Watercolor and colored pencil illustrations perfectly capture the enthusiasm of Duckling and the increasing irritation and alarm of Wuddles. At first the sleepy sheep barely lifts an eyelid as Duckling borrows some wool to make a scarf. But each new creation has Wuddles handing out a side-eye, outright glaring, and finally bleating out a wide-eyed "Bahhhhh!" of protest. Readers will laugh as they read about onesies for piglets, slippers for Dog, and a sweater-vest for Goose. As more and more animals are included in these snow day preparations, will Duckling ever let Wuddles have a say in where the wool goes? Judge combines text and images together seamlessly to capture the boundless energy of Duckling and the bewilderment of poor Wuddles. VERDICT Perfect for fans of cumulative stories like Jan Brett's The Mitten or animal antics such as Susan Stevens Crummel's The Great Fuzz Frenzy.—Suzanne Costner

School Library Journal

2023-06-08
Drafted by an overambitious duckling, Wuddles the sheep unwittingly ends up donating a barnyard’s worth of winter gear.

We’ve all had that friend who’s fleeced you into doing more than you were expecting—and the charismatic culprit here is a wee, butter-colored duckling. The duckling borrows a bit of wool from Wuddles, who is serenely encased in winter fluff, to create a spiffy scarf. It’s such a success that the duckling launches a full-on fashion show. There’s plenty of silliness as readers watch a frenetic duckling fit a surprised Rabbit with soft earmuffs or wrap Goose in a sweater vest. Mellow watercolors ooze old-fashioned charm, with monotone barn backgrounds contrasting with bright pops of color from the lively, charismatic barnyard animals. With raucous stream-of-consciousness narration, the duckling is both hero and villain, and the story’s a kick to read aloud. While the duckling genuinely wants to help Goat avoid “extra cold” legs and to provide chilly piggies with trendy onesies, the protagonist’s total obliviousness to Wuddles’ expressive and increasingly chagrined face provides just the right level of conflict for young readers. Observant kiddos will notice Wuddles’ voluminous fleece shrinking and predict the coming crisis—Wuddles is out of wool. They’ll certainly approve of Duck’s cuddly way of making amends, an enthusiastic “group hug” that wraps Wuddles in a solution as warm as, well, wool. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Adorable. Readers will flock to this barnyard charmer. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews