Book Look Bloggers: Willie Out West

"Willie Out West" by Rhonda Walker is a nicely illustrated story (pictures by Alan McCuller) about a young walrus named Willie who is bored at home with his family so he leaves his cold home to travel out West.  He is made deputy and tries to help rid the town of Old Walter the one-eyed whale.  Wille tries to think how he can save the people of the town who are scared of Walter.  He comes up with a plan to throw a harpoon at the whale's tale.  This is where the story really turned me off.  I don't really like to have violence in my children's stories.  This book would have been so much better if Willie could have befriended Walter.  Instead he (and all the townsfolk) bullied Walter who ran out of the town.

I would not recommend this book even though I loved the pictures and all but the end of the story. Just because a fellow creature is ugly (so Wille says) doesn't mean the first thing we do is be mean to the creature.  I was quite disappointed in the ending and don't even want to give away my copy.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. They did not require me to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”*