The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles: A Review

Goodreads (Description):

The Whangdoodle was once the wisest, the kindest, and the most extraordinary creature in the world. Then he disappeared and created a wonderful land for himself and all the other remarkable animals -- the ten-legged Sidewinders, the little furry Flukes, the friendly Whiffle Bird, and the treacherous, "oily" Prock. It was an almost perfect place where the last of the really great Whangdoodles could rule his kingdom with "peace, love and a sense of fun"-- apart from and forgotten by people.

But not completely forgotten. Professor Savant believed in the Whangdoodle. And when he told the three Potter children of his search for the spectacular creature, Lindy, Tom, and Ben were eager to reach Whangdoodleland.

With the Professor's help, they discovered the secret way. But waiting for them was the scheming Prock, who would use almost any means to keep them away from his beloved king. Only by skill and determination were the four travelers able to discover the last of the really great Whangdoodles and grant him his heart's desire.

Julie Andrews Edwards, star of stage and screen, has written a unique and beloved story that has become a modern classic. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is sure to continue to delight readers everywhere. This edition includes a new foreword by the author.

My Review:

Let me just say, that I had no idea Julie Andrews wrote books too. I mean, I've seen her in a plethora of movies: The Sound of Music, Mary Popping, The Princess Diaries, and many others. She is an amazing singer and actress--one of my favorites actually. I was introduced to this book by my cousin. She told me how it was one of her favorites when she was younger. So I decided to give it a try.

It was so cute and adorable.

This is a great book to read to a kid who loves adventures and has an active imagination.

One of my favorite things about this book was the lessons that Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter learned from the great Professor Savant. He is a wise, awesome old guy who leads these children through their greatest adventure through Whangdoodleland. He is a scientist who specializes in genetics. (Granted, this was written in 1974, so a lot of the cloning and genetic science that has really been successful today wasn't actually in the book). Although genetics and cloning is talked about in the book, it is written in a simple way for children to understand. I must say though, I once had to do a research paper on cloning and was happy to confirm that everything she wrote was researched and in fact true. Haha, never thought I would truly be happy that I wrote that "lovely" research paper...

Anyway, I found it awesome how Julie was able to combine fantasy and science. It was incredible. Genius even. And she did it in a way that kids could understand. So not only would it help them to imagine a beautiful world that is completely different than our own, but it would help them see the incredible wonders that science has today.

I loved the characters. The children were unique in their own way, but they loved each other dearly. They grew close together through the many trials they had to go through. The Professor was also amazing. The lessons he taught are lessons that we all need to learn. I loved his wise words and the wonderful way Julie wrote them into her story.

Not only is this a great book to lose yourself in, but it really does teach invaluable lessons.

I give this a 5 out of 5!