Out of the Mailbag, Comes Songs & Stories:
Mr. Whipple’s Woodchucks and the Lost Pocket Watch, 2020. 33 Pages
Story by M. E. Betsy McMillan. Illustration by Ro Clarkin
Review by John O’Brien, Jr. @JobJr
This is the first in a proposed series of children’s books under the title of Mr. Whipple’s Woodchucks. The one is titled The Lost Pocket Watch.
The story centers around a family farm where the woodchucks and the Whipple family lives, and the hard work the woodchucks put in to help find Mr. Whipple’s lost pocket watch. They search throughout the farmyard and buildings. It has a nice rhythm and teaches kids about kindness, living in harmony, helping others out and working together to achieve a goal for the betterment of all, no matter your abilities.
A mix of humor, cooperation and making a place for everyone makes the story go quickly and is fast paced without rushing the characters unnaturally. Illustrations are cute and add to the story but aren’t required to get the story. A young reader could read it themselves, but it can also be read to the younger child and discussed with them about the values mentioned above.
Mr. Whipple’s Woodchucks and the Lost Pocket Watch is a recommended work for pre-kindergarten thru nine or ten years old.
