Whistle for Willie Board Book (Board book)

~ (Author) "Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle!..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When Whistle for Willie was first published in 1964, The New York Times wrote Mr. Keats' illustrations boldly, colorfully capture the child, his city world. and the shimmering heat of a summer's day. Now the story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog, is accessible to even the youngest child in a durable board book edition, with reinforced pages, a handy trim size, and safe, rounded corners. Ezra Jack Keats, who died in 1983, was the award-winning author of such children's favorites as The Snowy Day, which won the Caldecott Medal, and Goggles, a Caldecott Honor Book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670880469
• ISBN-13: 978-0670880461
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #304,508 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He tried and tried . . . ., September 20, 2000

By	J. J. Falcone "Dové i libri?" (S.W. Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

but NOTHING came out! Whistle for Willie, oh what a JOY! This was one of the very first books that I read to my boys when they were in the high chair! What fun we had trying to whistle, just like Peter, blowing and blowing, but NOTHING CAME OUT! You see, my son's name is Peter, just like the little boy in the story, and so I started to collect books with little boys named Peter. Besides appealing to HIM, however, this book has inter-generational appeal. The rhythm and cadence appealed to my son, but the family's warmth and genuine love for each other appealed to me.

A little boy goes about his daily routine, all the while trying to learn how to whistle. "Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle!" We enjoy tracing a chalk line with him, trying on Daddy's hat, and walking to the store. And when he finally whistles, well, don't we ALL just feel proud? Yep!

Colorful collages illustrate this Ezra Jack Keats classic, and I am sure you will "Whistle for Willie" again and again, because this is a story that BEGS to be read over and over!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter's Quest, September 14, 2000

By A Customer

I grew up in the 60's and fondly remember the school librarian reading Ezra Jack Keats "The Snowy Day" to us as snow fell outside. We were glued to every page and every word. Keats' books stir the imagination. "Whistle for Willie" is another timeless classic from the award winning author. My 3-year-old son could not get enough of this book from the time he was old enough to pull it from the bookcase. The pictures are fun and imaginative, and the text puts you right in Peter's meandering, carefree world. Almost every boy wishes for a dog like Willie, and can relate to Peter's quest..."Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle..."!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You do know how to whistle, don't you?, May 17, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fans of Ezra Jack Keats's fabulous (and better known) 1962 book, "The Snowy Day" should be pleased to discover this other piece of Keatsian lore. Published originally in 1964, "Whistle for Willie" is a sequel of sorts. Starring Peter, that lovable kid whom we first saw tromping about in his red snowsuit, the focus shifts from cold snowed in city streets to warmer days in a kid-friendly metropolis.

Peter would like to whistle. He would like it very much, but try as he might he just cannot figure out how to do it. Though Peter sees other kids whistling for their dogs, when Peter whistles for his dauchund Willie he finds he hasn't the skill. We observe Peter as he goes about his day, trying to whistle between spinning, hiding in boxes, coloring with chalk, pretending to be his father, and walking the cracks in the sidewalk. At long last, after many failed attempts, Peter successfully whistles for Willie. Delighted, he shows his parents and after being sent to the grocery store he whistles all the way there and all the way back.

First of all, this is the book to present to those people that believe that children's short attention spans are a new occurrence. Observe, if you will, the multitude of activities and games Peter partakes in, usually leading back to his attempts to pucker up his lips and blow. This is one active (though not necessarily hyper) kid. You have to like Peter, just as you have to like the story in which he has been placed. It's a nice one, with realistic dialog and funny moments for kids to enjoy. When Peter puts on his dad's hat and pretends to be him, his mom plays right along. There's a real sense of trust to this book as well. Undoubtedly some kids living in big cities might read this and wonder why their own moms don't let them run in the streets alone or walk to the store to get some groceries. Prepare to unleash the dreaded phrase, "It was a simpler time" in such events. As for Keats's illustrations, they are as rambunctious and amusing as ever. I was particularly taken with a scene in which Peter spins himself around and around then suddenly stops. As we watch, the whole world tilts back and forth, the stoplight's lights floating out of their base and Peter swinging his arms to stay upright. As always, the textures, background prints, and clors in this book are fabulous. And in an improvement on "Snowy Day", Peter and his dog are allowed facial expressions where once Peter had none.

From the subtle endpapers to the beautiful and bizarre artistic graffiti on the walls, this book is a big city hit. Anyone who has ever wanted to experience the metropolitan districts with a small child as their guide would do well to snatch and grab the admirable, "Whistle for Willie". It's a sure-fire crowd pleaser and a hit.