Customer Reviews

A Weekend with Wendell

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not sure who loved the book more, my 9 year old daughter, my 13 year old son or myself. It has something for everyone, parents will recognize and enjoy the portrayal of the "problem child" and children will learn a valuable lesson while being entertained by one of the funniest books ever written for children. I've given it as a gift and will continue to do so.

This book cracks me up. I like all of Kevin Henkes' books, but for some reason, this one really makes me laugh (I especially like when they play bakery and Sophie has to be a sweetroll). More importantly, my 4-year-old loves it too. And, of course, buried deep in this story is a nice lesson about being polite to a guest, no matter how difficult that can be.

This is another great book by an outstanding writer and illustrator. Henkes is very good at capturing the little things in the minds of our little ones. I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and a 6 year old girl, and they both really like this book. As a matter of fact, so does this 35 year old. It's not quite up there with Sheila Rae, the Brave and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, but it's very close. Highly recommended.

This is a funny little story of two mice (kids) who start off on the wrong foot but end up being best friends over a weekend. The best kids' books make grownups laugh and appeal to a wide range of ages, and this one fits the bill--it's a great bedtime choice for my eight year old niece as well as my six and three year old nephews. Very very cute illustrations too. At (the price), a bargain!

Little Sophie's life is turned upside-down when the obnoxious Wendell comes for a weekend stay, and her parents' maddening unwillingness to discipline the brat enables him to annoy, harrass, bully, and otherwise abuse Sophie for most of his visit. In the end, the only recourse Sophie has is to spray him with a waterhose, an act of revenge which inexplicably brings the two together and causes them to become friends. (Did I miss something?) The message seems to be that if you're being bullied, take matters into your own hands because adults are ultimately no help. To be fair, that's exactly how I was raised myself, but it's the opposite of what we're required to preach in elementary schools. Seeing Wendell abuse Sophie repeatedly bothered me as an adult, and I imagine I'd feel the same if I were 7 or 8. Henkes's stuff has never been my cup of tea, but usually I can see why other people enjoy his work. This book is not representative of his work's usual quality.

this book was cute and funny but not great at times it could be quite sad. but this book was good and i liked it. book basics: this book was about a girl and how a friend comes over and how mean the friend is to the girl. and then at the end how they like each other. and how they want to have a sleep over again.

Not my favorite "mouse" book. My nieces adore it, but the storyline seems a bit odd to me.

Wendell comes to visit, and he's a major brat. Okay. Sophie clearly knew this before he came over, why didn't her parents?

The resolution in the book seems a bit forced, that's what it is. Wendell is worse than a brat, he's a bully - he causes trouble and leaves notes saying that Sophie did it, he leaves a note of himself as a monster attacking Sophie before bed (so you can't say that he's just misunderstood or nervous, he's TRYING to scare her), he steals her food and breaks all the rules.

Sophie does deal with this in a sensible way (first trying to ignore him, and finally turning the tables on him and spraying him with water), but I don't see how this made her reluctant to have him leave. And in later books (Sheila Rae, the Brave) it's shown in the background that they become great friends. I think that's a bit much.

But my nieces love it. I think they just love seeing the bully get what he deserves and the victim become empowered.

"A Weekend with Wendell" carries happy memories for me. I kept all of my favorite children's books from my childhood and this is one of those books. The story is about all of the hi-jinks one young mouse's cousin, Wendell, brings about when he stays for the weekend. Wendell takes control of all of the games he and his cousin play which doesn't sit well with his cousin or her parents. Wendell isn't necessarily mean but he's a bit naughty, and his cousin must learn how to keep up with his amusing ideas of fun as the story goes on.

Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite childrens book authors/illustrators. The wonderful thing about his books is that his style of humor and writing appeals to adults as well as kids, because its creative and has a hint of maturity. You laugh because of the subtle and smart way he amuses the reader through his illustrations. The quality of his books shines through in the details. I recommend his other books such as "Julius Baby of the World" as well.

I'm a grade school tutor and my students love all Kevin Henkes' books. A Weekend With Wendell was a great hit!

We are a family who always enjoys the writings of Kevin Henkes, in fact we own at least a dozen of his books. While, A Weekend with Wendell is not our favorite book by the author, we thoroughly enjoy the book and read it as a family over and over again. What I enjoy most about this book, and all of Kevin Henkes' books, is that the books are entertaining for children and parents of every age. No matter how young, no matter how old the stories are delightful and you always walk away feeling good.