Customer Reviews

Hooway for Wodney Wat

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As an elementary school librarian, I like promoting books in which a child's disability actually turns into a gift. Here poor picked-upon Wodney, who hides his head inside his jacket at recess, becomes the hero of his class by inadvertently driving the new bully away.

This story reminds me of "Gerald McBoing Boing," by Dr. Seuss, which is about a boy who can't talk, but only makes sounds.

Wodney Wat is sure to encourge many kids, with or without disabilities, for many years to come!

I bought this book to read with my son, who's 5. I thought it would be about overcoming bullies. It was, but I didn't like the message. Basically the only reason Rodney gains confidence & becomes a 'hero' is because he makes the class laugh at another class bully so that she runs away. Message: if you're getting picked on, you should gain acceptance from those bullies by picking on someone else. Really? It could have been such a different & better lesson. Not keeping this book.

They've done it again! The team who brought us such memorable books as A Porcupine Named Fluffy and Tacky the Penguin are at their absolute best with Hooway for Wodney Wat. Funny text and hysterical illustrations combine to make the perfect read aloud book. I laughed so hard I cried. A must have!

Poor Rodney Rat cannot say his r's so he sounds like Wodney Wat. What is even worse is that he is a rodent, a wodent. All the kids at school know that Wodney has this problem and purposely ask him questions that involve r's - like how does a train travel? To which Wodney is miserably forced to answer "a twain twavels on twain twacks." His fellow classmates aren't mean to Wodney, but he is not included in games and has become terribly shy, hiding in his jacket most of the time and keeping to himself. But then something happened that drew all of the students' attention away from Wodney, or rather, someone. Camilla Capybara burst into the classroom and pronounced that she was bigger than anyone, she was meaner than anyone and she was smarter than anyone. So there. Camilla quickly proved that she was right, as she trampled the kids on the way to the playground and answered questions in class before they were answered. When Wodney found out that he was to be the leader for the class' game of Simons Says, he was terrified. What would Camilla do when she heard him speak? What ensues will have children laughing out loud as Wodney unwitting becomes a hero and saves his whole class from the fearsome Camilla.

I simply love this book and every time I read it to my nephews, I laugh. It is a great book to read aloud to children and is just the perfect length, not too long so that the children lose interest, but not too short to where you have to read another one. The illustrations are charming and the text is fabulous! This book quickly became a favorite in my house and I am sure that your children will love it, too. Anytime we are feeling down or picked upon for something that we do differently, we read this book to help remind the kids that sometimes what others perceive as weaknesses can turn out to be strengths.

This is one of my favorite read alouds in my classroom. There is a great lesson in the story as Rodney triumphs over adversity. Children love the humor and word play. The book is well illustrated.

This is one of the most charming books I have read in years. Wodney provides children with a hero (or, as Wodney would say, "hewoah") who overcomes so much just by being himself. It's a great lesson for both children who identify with Wodney or who are more like the other wodents in the book. I intend to share this book with adults and children alike.

Rodney Rat is feeling "wather" down. He can't even pronounce his own name because he always pronounces his "rs" as "ws." All the other rodents at his school tease him --- the guinea pigs, the mice and others. He eats his lunch alone and he hides his head underneath his jacket. Then a new rodent shows up, a capybara, who's bigger than any of them and seems like she might be smarter too. But maybe Rodney can outwit her and turn his pronunciation problem to his advantage.

This is a very nice book for schoolchildren or anyone who likes picture books. I've had some speech issues in the past myself, so I can identify with the main character. It also helps that I like small fuzzies like rats, mice and guinea pigs (and they are all very cute.)

The illustrations are colorful and detailed, with lots of little things for visual interest. The colors are generally pretty soft and soothing. The illusrations are a mix of full and partial page and add very nicely to the story being told in the main text.

I am a speech therapist. I have many students that have difficulties with producing the 'r' sound. This is a great book because it lets them know that they should still be a confident individual even though they have difficulties with their sounds. It's a great book for children to learn about tolerating the differences of other students even if the differences are not sound related.

Hooway for Wodney Wat will have you, and your kids, laughing out loud. Poor Wodney the Wat can't say his R's, and due to the teasing of other "wodents" in his class, spends most of his time hiding in his jacket. Enter Camilla Capybara, the newest, biggest, smartest and definitely meanest rodent at PS 142 Elementary School for Rodents. Rodney becomes a hero when his speech impediment ends up helping him rid himself and his classmates of Camilla's bullying - in a very humorous way. Text and pictures combine for a book your kids will ask for again and again -- and you actually won't mind.

Voted best picture book in my first grade class for the 1999-2000 school year. Everyone can relate to Wodney in some way. The fact that Wodney becomes a hero in the end, gives each one of us a hope of coping with our differences. We loved all of Helen Lester's books!