The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
Reviewed by KarenRatings
Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content
LANGUAGE
VIOLENCE
SEXUAL CONTENT
ADULT THEMES
Ratings Explanation
Violence: Lindy is kidnapped by the Splintercat. Many of the mythical creatures attempt to scare the children into abandoning their quest to reach the Whangdoodle’s castle. The army of Sidewinders almost trample the children, the Gyascutus birds swoop down and attack, and the Swamp Gaboons mock the children’s courage.
Adult Themes: The children, especially Lindy, are afraid of the mythical creatures. She is upset about being tricked into following the Splintercat and being held against her will.
Synopsis
The Potter children (Ben, Tom and Lindy) meet an eccentric professor who teaches them the power of their imagination. The four use it to enter Whangdoodleland, where they embark on a journey to meet the last Whangdoodle. (Mythical creatures, such as the Whangdoodle, used to live with humans until humans lost their power of imagination.) All along their journey, the children and the professor encounter traps and obstacles set up by the “Oily Prock”, the Prime Minister, that are meant to deter the adventurers from reaching their goal and disturbing the peace of Whangedoodleland. Through courage and perseverance, the group finally arrives and finds a lonely Whangdoodle who wishes for a girl of his species, so he won’t be the last. Questioning his abilities to clone, the professor is reminded that, “miracles only happen after a lot of endeavor.”
Yes, this book was written by “The” Julie Andrews. I could almost hear her own voice speak the words in her beautiful British accent. Because of this, and because it was written for her own children, it does seem to be a piece of herself. This fantasy book reminded me of Dorothy and her friends on their quest to reach the elusive “Oz”. This is a whimsical book that brings to life a new world found only in a readers’ imagination, similar to Roald Dahl books. Some fun things are, “The Jolly Boat”, which is a joke-propelled boat–you tell it jokes to keep it moving. And also a soda fountain mirror that you tell what sort of ice cream sundae you’d like, and it magically appears. (Who wouldn’t want one of those?)