Module 6 - Hooway for Wodney Wat

Module 6 - Hooway for Wodney Wat

Summary

This books is about a shy rat with a speech impediment: he says the letter w when he means to say the letter r.  His classmates tease him and he hides and is unhappy.  One day, they get a new classmate, a big, mean, pushy capybara.  No one likes to be around her.  One day, they play Simon Says and Wodney gets to be Simon.  The new girl does not know of his speech impediment so when he issues his commands she misinterprets them, to the class' delight.  Finally, he issues the last command to "go west."  The new girl does as she is told and is never seen again.

My impressions

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It was funny, with charming illustrations.  The play on words made for an enjoyable read.  The message was good too, for children to respect each other's differences and for bullied children to remember that they are valuable in their own way.  I really liked this one.

Reviews

Booklist reviewer Stephanie Zvirin agreed, stating that "Munsinger's well-detailed illustrations are superbly funny, a perfect complement to a comical story that will not only make kids laugh but also hearten those who feel they'll be outsiders forever" (Zvirin, 1999).  School Library Journal included the book on its list of best books for 1999, noting the "charm and personality" of the illustrations (Jones, et al, 1999).

Use in a library

Since bullying is a hot topic in the news, this would be great to begin a program on bullying or on respecting each other's differences.  It is a great opportunity to get kids talking about the issue.  Since the story isn't heavy-handed with the message, kids should enjoy it but should also be able to get something out of it.

References

Jones, T., Toth, L., Grabarek, D., Auerbach, B., & Fleishhacker, J. (1999). Best books 1999. School Library Journal.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA83207.html.

Lester, H. (1999). Hooway for Wodney Wat. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Zvirin, S. (1999). Hooway for Wodney Wat. Booklist:1600. Retrieved from Literature Resource Center.