More than a physical journey, “Whangdoodles” is an emotional puzzle that, as soon as it seems predictable, reverses readers’ expectations. Sometimes good isn’t quite as good as it first appears, and sometimes the villains aren’t as villainous as they seem. Not only are the protagonists of “Whangdoodle” flawed and the bad guys vulnerable, it’s often unclear who’s on which side. Incorporating horrifyingly scary and invincible villains, however, isn’t an effective recipe for success on the juvenile market either.Įdwards achieves a balance. No child in his or her right mind wants to read a book about perfect children and their wonderful, danger-free adventure. In many children’s books, the story is exasperatingly bland.
In many ways, it’s more like “Alice in Wonderland” than “Five Children and It,” far surpassing the other classics in its genre with sheer creativity.īut Edwards succeeds in more than just the book’s amazing originality her true triumph lies in the subtle harmony between good and evil. Nesbit and others, and then tosses in some ecstasy and tells it to get out on the dance floor. “Whangdoodles” borrows the frame of English children’s literature in the style of E. They must reach the castle and see what few others have seen before: the last really great Whangdoodle. On the trip, Lindy gets kidnapped by a huge cat, the children travel on the Jolly Boat - a vessel fueled by bad jokes and uncontrollable giggling - and Tom learns to always be polite - even to the Swamp Gaboons, who insult his mother and otherwise bait him.
The story follows three children - Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter - on a journey with the brilliant Professor Savant to a magical world resembling Peter Pan’s Neverland on LSD. Frankweiler,” “Whangdoodles” creates a lovable and bizarre world of High-Behind Splintercats, living motorcycles and the ineffable Whiffle Bird. In the spirit of “The Phantom Tollbooth” and “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. As if 60 years of acting and three Academy Awards nominations weren’t enough to seal her legacy, Julie Andrews - Mary Poppins herself - has also written one of the greatest children’s books of all time.
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