The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles 30th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

by Julie Andrews Edwards (Author) "It was a crisp, sunny October afternoon and Benjamin, Thomas and Melinda Potter were visiting the Bramblewood Zoo..." (more)
Key Phrases: scrappy caps, Whife Bird, Whiffle Bird, The Jolly Boat (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
What on earth is a Whangdoodle? A "fanciful creature of undefined nature," it was also once the wisest, kindest, most fun-loving living thing in the world--until people stopped believing in it. When that lack of faith became widespread, the last of the really great Whangdoodles created a special land full of extraordinary creatures: furry Flukes, the sly High-Behind Splintercat, and the wonderful Whiffle Bird. But when an open-minded professor--the one adult who still believes in the Whangdoodle--joins forces with three children with active imaginations, they become an unstoppable team on a fantastic and sometimes terrifying journey to Whangdoodleland.

Readers who have explored Narnia, Oz, or Willy Wonka's chocolate factory will be thrilled at this new destination--a marvelous land that will inspire and stimulate creative and scientific minds. And who better to expose young readers to new ways of seeing, smelling, and hearing than Julie (Andrews) Edwards of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music fame? Her lively and clever style pulls readers along effortlessly; she, like the professor, is one grownup who can teach children never to close their minds to possibility. (Ages 9 to 12)

Review
"A book many children are going to love." -- -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 25th anniversary edition (October 6, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064403149
• ISBN-13: 978-0064403146
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (268 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Children's Books > Ages 9-12 > Classics
  #8 in	Books > Children's Books > Ages 9-12 > Staff Favorites
  #87 in	Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Classics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

184 of 187 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Whangdoodles!, January 13, 2000

By	Debbie Goggins (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

I had a teacher who read this book to our class when I was in fourth grade. I am now 30, and the book is still one of the most creative, entertaining books I have ever read. Lindy, Tom, Ben and the professor have the most wonderful adventures and meet up with the most incredible creatures. Julie Andrews Edwards has a gift for making the reader feel that she (or he) is actually along on the adventure. Her writing style is so descriptive, it's almost as if you can actually see, smell and taste all of the fantastic things in the book. This book truly recognizes the importance of exercising a child's imagination. I really look forward to reading it to my children someday.

127 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Harry Potter or the Oz books...., December 1, 1999

By	"ohlaurie" (Washington state) - See all my reviews

...you'll like this look into the collective imagination of two brothers, their sister, and an eccentric professor. Journey with them as the go in search of a magnificent creature that can exist only if someone believes in it.

I first discovered this book when I was in elementary school, around the time it was written, and I fell in love with it. Fast forward about 10 years to a summer spent as a camp counselor when I read it to a cabin full of 9-11 year old girls who couldn't wait for me to read the next chapter each night. Fast foward another 15 years to a mother purchasing a Harry Potter book from Amazon. Lo and behold the title comes up again in the "people who bought this book also purchased..." line. What a treat to rediscover what I consider a classic.

If you like the Harry Potter books or the Oz books or any book that takes the you to imaginary places with imaginary creatures and imaginary landscapes then you'll love it.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wonders of Whangdoodleland :-l :>) =) :>/ :-}, March 24, 2000

By A Customer

I'm in the 6th grade and I currently read The Last of The Really Great Whangdoodles- I loved the book! The book is about 3 young kids,Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter, who, with the help of their friend, Professor Savant, search out for the Whangdoodle.The Whangdoodle looks a bit like a moose or horse, it grows a new pair of slippers on it's feet each year. The Whangdoodle isn't the only strange creature in Whangdoodleland there's also the adorable Whiffle Bird, the mean and nasty Swamp Gaboons, the awful "oily" Prock, the playful High-Behind Splintercat, and many more. I'd keep going but that would defeat the purpose of reading the book, and you deffinetly wouldn't want to miss this book!I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope by writing this review I persaude others to read it too! P.S. Be sure to smell the flowers of Whangdoodleland!